


Agony

by Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Agony Symbiote & Reader, Anxiety, Blood, F/M, Female Reader, Multi, Other, Panic Attacks, Scientist!Reader, Tentacles, Teratophilia, Violence, cute domestic scenes between bouts of terror and gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-09-21 11:56:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17043287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction/pseuds/Green_Eyed_Dragon_Fanfiction
Summary: First was the fever, with the sweating following shortly after. Then came the hunger and the cravings. It always ended in hunger. Hunger directed at people and pets and anything that breathed. And, finally, the voice. The voice that made you feel like your head was being rent in half... but was so close to your own that you knew you had to be hallucinating. But after scaring the entire neighborhood and eating the neighbor's annoying dog (and about three raccoons), you're forced to realize it's not all in your head.You have a parasite and, to keep everyone (including yourself) safe, you disappear from society.That is, until one day another person like you finds you.Eddie Brock and Venom aren't what you're expecting.





	1. Chapter 1

Working at the Life Foundation wasn't as glamorous as your family and friends thought it was, which was partially your fault. You'd talked it up when you'd gotten the job, wanting to feel like- just once- you'd done something grand and amazing.

In reality, you were a glorified secretary.

At least Doctor Skirth was a nice enough person to follow around and get coffee for. She was a bit more human that the rest of the lead research team. More often than not she'd ask you to sit down with her while she spitballed ideas at you. Though even with your biology degrees you only understood about twenty percent of what she said at any given time. Being around her was always a learning opportunity and the Life Foundation was doing something amazing, despite the rocket crash a few months prior.

She spent most of her time in the high security clearance lab, a place you knew you'd probably never have access to. Only Skirth and the other lead scientists (along with a few choice security guards like Treece, the asshole) were allowed.

You glanced at the clock and swore. It was already eight. You'd lost track of time while organizing and analyzing theoretical data again (which would have been boring had it not been about space crafts and alien organisms). With a groan you saved your progress and sluggishly began shutting down your work station while you gathered up your belongings, which had slowly but surely been scattered about your tiny office throughout the day.

The sound of your heels striking the marble floors echoed startlingly loudly as you made your way towards the parking garage elevator. You bid a good night to the few security guards that poked their heads around corners, curious and apprehensive about the noise you were making. You knew only a few of them by name, but they still wished you safe travels and good nights regardless.

Except, when you walked past the door to the high security lab, the last person you'd been expecting to see was there, talking to the head guard on duty (a huge guy named Darius who would have been intimidating if you hadn't known he liked baking and visited his ma in the hospital every day before work).

"Doctor Skirth?" you asked, confused, frozen halfway through the room.

Her eyes snapped to you and you realized, at once, she was nervous. Darius must not have picked up on it yet, but you felt trepidation coil low in your stomach.

"Oh, there you are!" she said eagerly as she strode purposefully over to you. She took your arm and, the moment she'd turned away from Darius, gave you the most pathetic, pleading look you'd ever seen. "Thank you _so_ much for calling me! I can't believe we almost overlooked those data sets. Who knows what could have happened if you hadn't been working here so late! Mister Drake would have been furious!" she said, more than loud enough for Darius to overhear. Hell, most of the building would probably be able to hear. "Now, won't you be a dear and go print out those data sheets for me? It will be _so_ helpful to have them when I'm doing my research."

She was already pushing you back in the direction of your office so you could barely get out a peep before she practically shoved you down the hallway and quickly (and a little stiffly) walked back towards the lab. You stared wide-eyed at her over your shoulder for a few moments before you slowly began walking towards your office. If the security guards you'd said goodbye to found that odd, they didn't say anything (though you did get a few raised eyebrows).

Something was wrong and maybe, just maybe, if you followed Doctor Skirth's orders to a tee, everything would be alright. She was your boss, after all, and she knew way better than you did what needed to be done. Maybe if you helped her fix whatever the problem was you'd even get a promotion.

With that thought to buoy you, you flicked your computer back on and set to work printing out your reports.

* * *

 You were halfway through the gratuitous waste of paper when all hell broke loose.

_"Code Silver security breech. I repeat, this is a code silver security breech."_

The automated voice repeated the announcement over and over as the emergency lights turned on and you froze at your work station, shocked. Outside, you could hear the guards thundering past your door, heading straight towards the source of the commotion: the high security lab.

You bit your lip as you stared at the door. During a code silver, you were supposed to go into lockdown, but... that was with a building full of people. Not two researchers and a horde of security guards.

Doctor Skirth was down there. Harmless, passive Doctor Skirth, who could hardly hurt a fly (unless it was in the name of science).

You took one last glance at the papers being spat at of your printer and flew out of your seat towards the door. With only a glance in either direction to make sure the coast was clear, you began making your way towards the lab.

All of the guards were missing from their posts but by the time you arrived at the heavy, hand print-encrypted door you'd found more than five of them unconscious, but alive. You were just starting to regret coming down when you heard screaming.

Instead of running away- like any normal, sane person would- you ran towards it.

Which, in this case, meant _into_ the lab.

You really hoped you wouldn't end up dead or fired from this.

You pulled your phone out to call the police as you raced through the glass-walled labs (deftly avoiding unconscious guards as you went), but before you could hit even a single button, something big, purple, pink, and slimy blindsided you.

Your head hit the glass wall next to you as you fell and you blacked out.

* * *

"Wake up! Oh, no. This is so bad. What are you even doing here? Please wake up! We have to go!"

You blinked and groaned as the world swam into view. "Doctor Skirth?" you muttered as you stumbled to your feet like a newborn deer, more hindered than helped by Skirth's attempts to pull you up.

"Yes, that's me! You need to go," she said quickly as she threw your arm over her shoulder and began walking you towards the parking garage.

"Wha'happened?" you slurred. Your head was pounding and you wanted nothing more than to just get something to eat and maybe sleep for a year. As if on cue, your stomach growled loudly.

Skirth didn't even glance your way. "Someone broke into the facility and stole some of Mister Drake's property. It's not safe to be here right now and it's probably best if you went home for tonight," she said. You were pretty sure you caught all of that, but your brain was working as slow as molasses.

"Okay, alright. That sounds... pretty good," you said weakly as she called the elevator. The moment it opened she practically threw you inside and you grabbed onto the handrail for support. "I'll see ya t'morrow?" you slurred, fighting the urge to vomit as the room began to tilt dangerously.

But Doctor Skirth was already walking away before the doors had even begun to close. "Oh, no! Take a few days off! You've been working hard and you deserve a break!" she called without looking back.

"But-" you began, but slammed your mouth shut as your late dinner attempted to make a reappearance. Yeah, maybe taking a few days off wouldn't be so bad.

By the time you were at your car you had half a mind to call an Uber, but ultimately decided against it. You didn't feel like yakking in some poor underpaid sap's car. The facility was still in such an uproar that no one was even there to man the gate, so you rolled right on through, thankful that the pole was up.

* * *

It started with a fever. 102.3 **°** F/39.1 **°** C, to be exact. You stared at the thermometer in horror and immediately went to ransack the cupboard above your sink for any fever reducer you could find. You choked down double the recommended amount of advil and winced as your stomached practically roared. You wouldn't be surprised if your neighbors in the apartments next to yours could hear it.

"Fuck," you swore as you made a beeline for the fridge. You were so hungry you didn't even bother to read expiration dates or labels. Anything and everything went into your mouth, cooked or otherwise.

You were halfway through a leftover steak from a restaurant you'd gone to a few nights ago when you were sure- beyond a shadow of a doubt- that something was very, very wrong with you.

_**You feed us dead things. I do not like it.** _

You screamed, dropped the steak onto the ground, and whirled, looking for the source of the voice. It was deep and terrifying but distinctly feminine.

"Fuck. Holy crap. Shit." You fell to the ground in a heap and rammed your head between your knees as you attempted to breathe. The world was spinning away and you couldn't feel your limbs and you couldn't breathe and you were insane and you were probably dying and-

_**I am hungry.** _

The voice startled you so badly you jolted and accidentally rammed your head into the cabinet behind you.

"Goddammit," you hissed through clenched teeth.

_**There is food outside. We will go get it.** _

You gasped in surprise as your body sprang up of its own accord and walked stiffly to the door.

"What the fuck," you whispered as black spots danced in your vision. You really were going insane.

Your hand jutted towards the front door and you watched in horror as it warped the metal knob and didn't even turn it. Instead, the entire door gave a pained crack and came off its hinges with a horrible squeal.

_**Oops.** _

"What the fuck," you hissed, watching in horror as the door clattered to the ground. You stepped through the doorway and watched, mouth agape, as you picked it up with ease and set it haphazardly back into its frame. Your body then kept walking towards the stairs, but the voice in your head wouldn't shut up.

_**Your world is flimsy. It will fall within days.** _

"Shut up!" you spat as you fought to wrest back control of your body.

_**You are lucky you are such a good match or I would eat you.** _

"What the fuck does that even mean? Jesus, I'm talking to myself. I'm hallucinating voices from the fever." You struggled valiantly to move but your body trudged onward, down the stairs and to the front doors.

"(Y/N)? What are you doing out this late?" Your body turned to look at your neighbor; an old man named Henry who was out walking his annoying, vicious min pin that was busy barking and snarling its tiny head off at you. When he got a good look at you he paled considerably and stared at you with wide, concerned eyes. "You alright? You're not lookin' well," he said nervously.

You stared at him with wide eyes and realized you were drooling. Your stomach rumbled loudly and you nearly vomited.

_**They look delicious. The question is: Which should we eat first?** _

"No! No no no! Not them!" you screeched, to the dismay and confusion of Henry. "He's a nice man!" you hissed.

_**Just the dog?** _

To your horror you actually found yourself pausing to consider it. The dog _did_ look delicious. And it was a terrible little creature. You took a step forward before you reeled backward and began running away. "No! Eating people is bad!" you hissed as you ran full tilt towards the nearest alley. You had to get to the hospital. You were going insane and if the last few minutes were anything to go by, you were a danger to the public.

_**Fine. Then we will just eat the dog. The old human can live.** _

"What?" you asked, shocked. Except the voice didn't answer. Instead, dark purple-pink goo seeped out of your skin and and slowly began covering every surface of your body. "What the fuck is happe-" your frenzied question was cut off as the purple-pink goo overtook your face. To your shock, you could still breathe and see, but it was as though everything was being filtered through a lens.

**"This is much better. You are a strong host. I will do well with you."**

"Oh god. What the fuck."

**"I will handle this."**

"Handle what!?" you asked frantically, but your body was already careening off the way you'd come. You watched in horror as your claw-like feet dug deep grooves into the cement. You were forced to watch as Henry and his min pin turned to look at you. It was like watching everything in slow motion. Henry yelled in terror as you closed in on him faster than humanly possible. Your pink-purple clawed hand reached out for the dog at the same moment the thing covering you spat. It hit the leash and within an instant it was melted through like wet tissue paper and you'd scooped up the dog. You were bounding away a moment later, screaming dog clutched in your hand.

Well, it _was_ screaming... until the thing brought it up to your face and swallowed it whole. You were horrified to find your mouth forced open as thoroughly chewed min pin was shoved down your throat. The thing spat the blood-soaked collar out while it continued running.

"We just ate a dog," you whispered, horrified, once the bloody meat stopped coming. "I'm gonna be sick," you whispered. You wanted to puke, but you just couldn't.

**"Do not! That was tasty."**

"For _you_ , maybe!" you yelled, appalled.

 **"Well, that is all that matters."** The thing came to a screeching halt and you hoped that you might get control of your body back, but you realized it was staring at something in a dark alleyway. **"What kind of dog is that?"**

You realized it was focused on a raccoon, which was frozen on top of a heap of trash in a dumpster behind an Ivaar's. "That's not a dog! That's a raccoon!"

**"We are going to eat it."**

"No! That thing probably has like fifty diseases!" you yelled, but it was for naught. The thing was already leaping on the dumpster. The raccoon made a valiant attempt to scramble out of the way, but the thing was faster and, just like last time, swallowed the raccoon whole. By the time it reached your mouth it'd been reduced to a pulp, but that didn't make it any more pleasant. "I fucking hate you," you gasped as soon as you'd swallowed it.

**"I do not care. If we do not eat I will eat you instead, and you are much too useful."**

You glared and tried to free yourself from the thing, but you may as well have been encased in cement for all the good it did. "Well that's fucking fantastic. You ever going to let me out of... you?"

It made a low humming noise that sounded almost considering. **"I suppose."**

You stood completely still as the oddest sensation washed over you; it was almost like water running over your skin, but then it went below your skin. You could feel it rummaging around inside of you; in every cell of your body.

You were going to vomit.

_**Do not. We have not digested the food yet.** _

"Why the hell are you inside of me?" you whispered as your knees gave out and you landed heavily on the hard, cold cement.

_**You were there. You are a good match. You will serve as my host.** _

You sat on the cold ground for what could have been seconds or minutes before you staggered to your feet and began walking to the corner to look for the street signs so you could start making your way back to your apartment. "Where's 'there' exactly?" you mumbled under your breath as you started heading towards home now that you had your bearings.

_**The Life Foundation.** _

You scoffed and waited for a couple (who were staring at you with wide, scared eyes. You must have really looked like shit) to pass before you snarked, "There's no way in hell you were at the Life Foundation. Mister Drake would definitely have made the discovery of alien life public knowledge. That's _way_ too important to keep hidden."

_**We found your ship in space and let you bring some of us back. We will take the next ship out and bring back more of us. Your world will be consumed. Drake has made this difficult. He wants to experiment on us. We were dying slowly. I feared I would be the first to perish, but fortune smiled upon me. You bumbled your way into the laboratory and I took my chance.** _

You stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, eyes wide in horror. "There are more of you?"

_**Yes. Many more.** _

"No, I mean here. On Earth."

_**Oh. There are three others.** _

Jesus fucking Christ on a pogo stick. "And you want to... consume the earth? As in people?" you whispered, once again fighting the urge to heave the contents of your stomach.

**_And animals_.**

"Oh, right. Can't forget the animals," you said faintly. You fought to keep your breathing even, then, "What are you?"

_**I am Agony.** _

You scoffed. "Yeah, I'll say. But that doesn't tell me what you are."

It made that odd humming/thinking noise again but you waited patiently, only for it to forcibly bring you to a stop. _**Wait.** _

"What now?" you hissed, eyes darting to and fro. You were slowly making your way back towards more populated areas.

_**There. On that screen. That is one like me. Venom. I did not realize that loser had managed to escape as well. That is good.** _

It took you a moment to spot the television screen Agony had been talking about, but the moment you did you practically glued your face to the window (to the dismay of the patrons inside). "We look like that?" you asked, horrified and perhaps a bit awed as a grainy video of a huge black monstrosity slammed through cars, buildings, and cops like they were toys.

Agony sounded almost offended and definitely dismissive. _**Of course not. We are much more graceful than that buffoon. Look.**_

You were about to ask it what it meant but then your eyes focused on the glass in front of you and you nearly shrieked.

The thing staring back at you had huge, monstrous teeth and iridescent white eyes that took up nearly half of its face. A large mane of purple-pink tendrils sprouted from where hair would have been on a human. Its skin was dark purple with pink accents. When you brought a hand up to touch your face you nearly recoiled. The reflection's hand moved, too, but it was pink claws- not human hands- that came up to touch its face. You saw a large blade sticking out of the middle of each upper arm. When you turned to look at yourself, its head turned, too, but it was only your own normal human arms and hands that you saw when you looked down.

_**See? We are much more effective and skilled than Venom and his host. There are much better ways to solve problems than shoving your fist in them. Such as acid. I like acid.** _

"That's us?" you whispered as your gaze returned to the window.

 _ **Us?**_ Agony echoed, confused.

"Well, yeah? Is that what we looked like when we were running around earlier?" you whispered, studying your reflection closely. Agony had certainly given you a nice pair of tits, which seemed a bit silly. At least it gave you a six-pack, too.

It made that low hum that made your skull feel like it was vibrating and when it answered it sounded contemplative. _**Yes. This is what we looked like.**_ You felt like you were going to faint. You began to fall backwards, but you could feel it rush beneath your skin and keep you upright. _**We must go. Riot is still missing and I will not throw my lot in with that idiot. With Venom loose the humans will be on alert. We will hide until Riot returns or Phage escapes.** _

"Are those the others?" you whispered. You reluctantly pulled yourself away from the window and TV that was still showing shaky, amateur videos of "Venom" and kept walking.

_**Yes.** _

"But there are more of you? In space?"

_**Millions.** _

"Millions. That's... great."

_**Where are we going?** _

You hugged your jacket more tightly to yourself and wished, fervently, that it wasn't soaked with sweat. "You said we had to leave, right?"

_**Immediately.** _

You nodded along. "Then we need to go back to my apartment. My car is there, and so are my clothes."

_**You... will leave? Willingly?** _

You shrugged. "I'm either insane or possessed by an alien... or both. Way I see it, it's best if I'm not around people. If that means leaving the city then, well, it's not really even an option." It hummed at that but didn't say anything. "And maybe, while we wait for the last one to show up, I can convince you to not eat the planet."

It made a noise that you likened to a dismissive scoff. _**That is unlikely.**_

You checked around the corner to make sure no one was there. Apparently Henry was hiding in his apartment or at the police station because he was no longer on the street. "Maybe. But it never hurts to try."

A pause, then, _**I do not think that is true.** _

* * *

 

Agony stayed relatively quiet while you packed up anything and everything you might need in your indeterminate time away from the city.

_**We are fortunate Venom is as noisy as it is. The police are busy and the Life Foundation has likely not noticed I am missing yet.** _

"I still can't believe you ate Henry's dog," you said miserably.

_**You liked it.** _

You shuddered. "I like not being hungry anymore, but I can't say I particularly enjoyed eating a live dog whole."

It made a dismissive noise in your head and stayed quiet until you got into the car, with most of your belongings shoved into your trunk, passenger seat, and back seats.

 _ **Mendocino National Forest,**_ it read from the GPS on the new phone you'd bought (you were pretty sure your old phone was still in the Life Foundation high security lab).

You nodded as you pulled out of your spot. "We can hide there for a while."

 _ **There aren't as many people there,**_ Agony argued. It surprised you that it didn't wrest control of your body from you.

"No, but there are plenty of other non-sentient things to eat."

_**I prefer eating humans. Animals have too much fur or too many scales.** _

You winced at the thought of eating a person. "How about this: If anyone attacks us, you can eat them. Otherwise, we keep it limited to animals. Deal?"

It hummed, but eventually rumbled a resentful, _**Deal**_.

You breathed out a sigh of relief and settled into your seat for the long, long drive to the forest.

* * *

You were only an hour away from your destination, flipping through radio stations, when an emergency broadcast caught both your and Agony's attention.

_"Authorities are baffled by the events that unfolded at the Life Foundation's rocket launch site. More than a few employees in the on-site control room are dead and those that are alive are claiming that two large, monstrous creatures fought on the shuttle shortly before it exploded. Camera phone footage has revealed these claims to have at least some basis, as a large black creature- which matches the descriptions of the creature that terrorized the city last night- can be seen fighting an even larger silver creature. They're relatively humanoid in appearance, but the size and power they seem to possess is distinctly superhuman. The larger silver thing can be seen entering the shuttle shortly before takeoff. It did not appear to escape before the shuttle exploded. It is unknown at this time whether or not the black creature survived."_

_**They are describing Riot and Venom!**_ Agony screeched in your head. To your shock, you felt the rush of it moving around inside you and a moment later a mass of purple and pink slowly emerged from your shoulder. It was a slightly smaller version of the visage you'd seen in the window yesterday. It was a strange feeling to see it in the light of day. It undulated in a way that made you feel a little motion sick. **"We must investigate! The radio is wrong. Venom could not kill Riot!"**

You tore your eyes from Agony's huge, shiny eyes and stared back at the road. "Yeah, okay. Fine. Just let me pull over at a rest stop, alright?"

 **"Hurry!"** it hissed. Its shiny, acid-covered teeth were too close for comfort.

You sighed. "You could always google it on my phone, if you're that worried," you said. You'd stopped using it for GPS a while ago. The trip to the forest was rather straight forward.

It stared at the phone quietly, mouth pulled over its vicious teeth. You wondered if it was going to eat the device, but after a few beats it admitted quietly, **"I do not know how to use it."** For some reason that made you smile, and immediately its head swiveled to look at you, but you stared determinedly at the road in front of you. **"Do not laugh!"**

"I'm not laughing," you said, trying hard to keep a straight face.

**"You are thinking about it."**

"No I'm not."

**"Yes you are! I can feel it!"**

You finally huffed out a laugh and it growled in anger, but you only smiled wider. "I'll teach you how to work it later as long as you promise not to look up weird things."

It regarded the phone, then you, then grumbled. **"That is agreeable."**

You smirked and breathed a sigh of relief as the turnoff for the rest stop finally came into view. "Well that's just grand, your royal highness."

 **"If you continue to tease me I will eat you and find a different host,"** it threatened.

"You're lying. I can _feel_ it," you said with a tiny smirk as you pulled into an empty spot. Before it could argue further, you patted its head gently then quickly snatched your hand away before it could nip at you. "Gotta go back inside for a while, Agony. It'll be hard to lay low if everyone from here to the forest sees you floating out of my shoulder."

It glared at you. **"Fine. But you must do research. Discover what happened at the Life Foundation or I will eat you."** A moment later you felt it rushing back inside you and you prided yourself for barely flinching this time.

"Yeah, yeah. I got it," you groused as you grabbed your phone from your dash holder and immediately began scanning the web for news about the Life Foundation. You didn't have to look very hard. By the time you'd sat down on the relatively clean toilet, you were playing a low quality recording from the security cameras. You and Agony watched as the silver creature ( _ **Riot**_ , Agony whispered) entered the shuttle. It had gotten barely fifty feet off the ground before a huge dark mass jumped onto it. There was a flash as the black mass did something and promptly fell away from the ship a few seconds before the explosion. The light from the explosion had overloaded the terrible cameras.

 _ **Venom killed Riot. It destroyed the shuttle. The damn traitor,**_ Agony screeched so loudly you winced as the thoughts nearly bowled you over with their intensity.

"How do you know Riot's dead?" you whispered, hoping fiercely that the low hum of activity all around would hide the fact that you were- by all appearances- talking to yourself.

_**Fire hurts us. Sounds on the 4000 to 6000 hertz range- also deadly. Riot would not have been able to survive that explosion. Not if it was inside the shuttle. I doubt Venom could have survived, either.** _

Agony sounded almost... sad? You didn't feel like having the cops called on you so you resolved to answer in the car. A few more seconds of scrolling made you suck in a breath and Agony practically vibrate under your skin.

_"Remains of an unidentified yellow and black organism were found inside the Life Foundation complex, along with the body of one Doctor Dora Skirth."_

_**Phage is gone! We are decimated! I am alone with no way to return!** _

It was quickly growing frenzied so you finished up in the bathroom quickly and practically ran back to your car. The moment the door was locked you began talking.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. You're going to be okay."

Agony's face materialized from your other shoulder this time, visage set in fury and mourning. **"They are all gone! We cannot complete our mission and I am alone on this planet,"** it growled.

You floundered, overwhelmed by the veritable wave of energy and anger that rolled through Agony into you. "Not alone." When Agony froze and pinned you with its pearlescent gaze you took a deep breath, thankful for the temporary reprieve. "You got me," you said faintly.

It narrowed its eyes at you. **"You are a meat sack. A convenient host. Nothing more. You are not one of us."**

You shrugged and tried to put on a smile that was probably more of a grimace. "I know. But you still got me." The proclamation was met with only silence which, at that point, was a bit disconcerting. You pulled onto the highway, keeping silent while Agony mulled the proclamation over.

 **"One is not enough to take over the planet,"** it said quietly.

You nodded along. You weren't sure exactly how much Agony could do, but you didn't feel like calling down the wrath of the Avengers in your attempt to find out. "Alright. Then I guess we focus on just... surviving." You could feel it gazing at you and you fought the urge to squirm in your seat.

After a small eternity in which you nodded along to the music just for something to do, it muttered. **"Yes. I suppose... we should."**

You spared it a tentative smile and it frowned at you, but you didn't receive a snarky, snappy comment, so you thought that, perhaps, you'd done something right. "Well, Operation: Bear Grylls is a go."

It receded back into you, but apparently wasn't done talking yet. _**What is a Bear Grylls?** _

"An outdoorsman who drinks his own pee."

_**You wish to drink your urine?** _

You made a disgusted face. "Geeze. No!"

_**You are terrible at naming things, then. We shall call it Operation: Survival.** _

You sighed, but a smile tugged up the corner of your lips. "Yeah, alright. You win."

_**I always do.** _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Agony fall into something of a routine in the month following the incident at the Life Foundation. It's perhaps a bit lonely, but you've never truly alone. Agony is surprisingly good company and the time in the forest is relaxing with the added bonus of providing you with plenty of time to study the symbiote.  
> That is until rumors of a monster in Mendocino Forest get out and you get some unwanted visitors.

**-One Month Later-**

 

_**What about that one?** _

You glanced up from your research-filled notebook at whatever latest wildlife Agony spotted. "Turtle," you said decisively before turning back to your notebook. You paused and frowned. "Have we really not eaten turtle yet?"

_**No. Tell me about it.** _

The animal in question stared gormlessly at you from its spot on the log in the middle of the small pond, apparently unaware of the danger it was in.

You leaned back against the tree you were sitting under and blew out a long breath. "Uh... reptile. Water-dwelling. Hard shell. Omnivores. A lot of breeds are kept as pets. Not as slow as people think, especially in the water."

_**Are they tasty?** _

You rolled your eyes and smiled a little fondly at the symbiote. "Turtle is a delicacy in some places, but that's usually referring to sea turtle, which we will _never_ be eating because they're endangered." You frowned and considered. "Turtle soup is a thing, I think. Never had it myself, though."

 _ **Why have we never had soup?**_ Agony asked petulantly.

You huffed out a laugh. "Because it takes a long time to make and you put vegetables and dead meat in a pot to cook."

Agony's disgust was almost palpable. _**Soup sounds awful.**_

You laughed in earnest at that. "Which is why I haven't made it for us. Also because we don't have any cooking pots."

Agony hummed as it thought and you returned to cataloguing the surrounding flora. As you expected, it didn't stay quiet for long. **_I want to eat the turtle._**

The forest had been quiet all day and it was dark enough out now that you figured it would be safe, so you stuck your pen inside your notebook and nodded. "Yeah, alright." Agony vibrated with excitement under your skin as you slowly began to strip (wet clothes sucked when you didn't have a dryer). "Just chew it well, okay? Their shells are real hard and I don't want my throat and esophagus torn open because you swallowed a huge shard in one go."

Agony started overtaking your body the moment you'd stripped your pants and underwear off and threw them into the pile with your shirt, shoes, and socks. **"I would heal you,"** it rumbled the moment it had finally engulfed your head.

You rolled your eyes. "Still hurts at the time, A," you grumbled.

Rather than respond, Agony crouched down and, after a moment where you could feel it rippling to get just the right power and trajectory, launched itself at the unsuspecting turtle.

* * *

_**I like turtle.** _

"I'm very happy for you."

It was late, now. Truly dark out. Agony had, of course, not stopped with just the turtle. It had also gone after two raccoons, an owl, and a deer.

_**I want to eat another cat again, though.** _

You frowned. "Do you mean a puma?"

 _ **Big cat. Puma. Cougar. All the same thing,**_ it said dismissively.

You sighed. "We'd probably have to hunt at night and move around the park. Big predators like that don't stick around each other much."

**_That is acceptable. The dark does not bother us._ **

You snorted. "Might not bother you, maybe, but the forest is creepy as hell at night. If I didn't have you watching my back I never would have stayed out here alone for as long as I have."

 _ **You find my presence comforting**_ , it purred smugly.

You smiled and shook your head as you made your way back to the campsite, just barely visible through the trees thanks to the lantern you'd left on for the express purpose of guiding you home. "Yeah, yeah. Don't let it go to your head. There'll be no living with-" Movement in the clearing ahead caught your attention and you froze, terror jolting down your spine.

_**Your cortisol and adrenaline levels have spiked. Eyes dilated, accelerated breath... You are afraid. Why?** _

You ducked behind a giant ponderosa pine, fingers digging into the rough bark, and tried to keep your breathing under control. "I think something's in our campsite," you whispered.

_**Food?** _

You made a quiet, strangled noise. It was always about food for Agony. "I dunno, A," you hissed.

"I think I heard something over here, guys!"

Ah, fuck. It was humans. At least three, it seemed. And if the the sound of snapping twigs and branches rubbing against clothing was to be believed, they were getting closer. You'd chosen to live in the most secluded area of the park to avoid this exact scenario. To keep Agony from-

 _ **Does this mean we finally get to eat a human?**_ Agony asked, sounding much too excited by the prospect.

You shook your head violently, wincing when Agony shrieked its outrage in your mind. However, neither of you had time to argue about it because a half second later a bright light lit up your face. The source was- as far as you could tell- as distant as it could be without being blocked by the trees.

"Ah, dude. It's just some chick," the intruder said. You wished you could see the owner's face, but even holding up a hand to block out the worst of the light did little to help how much the damn flashlight blinded you.

"Shit, really? All the way out here? Man, she's gotta know about the creature." A different voice echoed through the trees to your left and you squinted, trying to spot him.

_**Creature? Is there some beast here we have not found yet?** _

You bit your tongue in the attempt to not answer Agony out loud. Spending a month alone with Agony had severely hampered your already questionable people skills.

"Ohoho dude you're right! Hey, weird dirty hippy chick! Have you seen a big monster around here?" the voice with the flashlight asked.

You glowered at the spot you were pretty sure his face was hidden in the gloom. "You gonna shine that thing in my face all night?" you growled.

_**Why are you stalling? Let me eat them!** _

You bit your lip and shook your head almost imperceptibly.

"Oh, you're right. My bad, dude." A second later the light clicked off and within a few seconds your eyes had adjusted enough to finally see the intruders; four college-age guys with way too much recording-related paraphernalia to be anything but-

"Amateur video makers? Seriously? What the hell are you doing at my campsite?" you asked them.

The tallest one on the end bristled at that and stood up a little straighter, brows pulled a little lower. "Just because our documentaries haven't made it big yet doesn't mean we're 'amateurs'," he said, practically spitting the word "amateurs" out while using air quotes, which you were pretty sure people didn't use unironically anymore.

"Jason, man, c'mon. We're gonna make it big as soon as we find the creature. Those douches in New York who cover Tony Stark and Steve Rogers and all that won't know what hit 'em," Flashlight Guy said placatingly.

Your eyes flicked between them warily. Beneath your skin, Agony was shifting restlessly, barely held in check. "What was that about some... monster?" you asked, growing stiffer still as their collective attention shifted back to you.

The guy who appeared to be the youngest lit up with excitement and dug around in his pocket. You were inordinately relieved when he only pulled out a phone. They seemed harmless enough, but it was dark. You were a lone woman in a huge forest in the most untrafficked part of the park. You weren't scared for yourself as much as what would happen to them if they gave into more... base, dark instincts. "Alright so, it's _crazy_. My sister is friends with this guy whose girlfriend goes hiking out here all the time, and when she told her boyfriend about what she saw he didn't believe her. Can you believe that? Not believing her when we live in a world where the Norse god of thunder saved New York with Captain America, Iron Man and the Hulk a few years ago? Some people these days." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, it got back to me and I told the guys and we just knew we had to talk to her so we _did_ and she had _proof_! A picture of the creature! Can you believe that?" He looked up from his phone, which he'd been busily tapping away at during his rambling explanation.

You stared at him, trying your best to keep calm when you had a sinking feeling you knew exactly what they were talking about.

"Ralph, dude. You can't just tell her all that. We can't divulge our sources," the scowling guy- Jason- said.

"Yeah, but it's okay though, right? Because she might help us if we show her?" Ralph asked, suddenly unsure.

The other three exchanged looks, gazes lingering a little longer on the only one who hadn't spoken yet. After a few moments, the quiet guy nodded.

Ralph immediately relaxed and went back to smiling. "So, what do you say? Wanna help us? If we find it you'll definitely be in the credits at the end of the documentary."

You crossed your arms and glared at them. "You come traipsing through my campsite and think I'll just help you? Walk into the woods alone with you?" you asked.

Flashlight Guy and Ralph paled dangerously but Jason and Mister Stoic's only tell was shifting from one foot to the other.

"Oh man, I never thought about it like that! I'm so sorry, lady," Ralph said quickly as he took a step backwards, only to stumble as he ran into a tree.

You didn't have time to deal with these youths. You had to leave the park as soon as possible. You knew what'd be on that phone, considering they'd known to look around in this specific area. Someone had spotted Agony and that meant you weren't safe here anymore.

"Which is why I'm not helping you. I'm going to go back to my campsite and you're going to leave because if you don't I'll call the cops using my satphone."

_**You are sending them away? But I want to eat them! Also, what is a satphone? You have never shown it to me.** _

When none of them said anything you slowly began backing towards your campsite, only turning your back on them once you'd put more distance between them.

_**No! Go back! They smelled so good!** _

"Shut up, Agony," you hissed. "They're just kids!"

"Wait." The voice stopped you in your tracks; deeper than the others, the only one you hadn't heard yet. You turned back slowly, keeping your eyes on the four of them. Mister Stoic was up in front, with the others standing behind him. Their expressions ranged from intimidating to wary. "You know something," he rumbled.

You glared at him. "It's only my second night in the woods, kid. Haven't seen shit except for a bunch of squirrels and some bear shit."

Mister Stoic was already shaking his head before you'd gotten halfway through your lie. "That campsite's way too lived in to only have been there for two days. There are tracks going in and out; well-worn."

"Sam..." Ralph muttered, looking between you and Mister Stoic worriedly.

You shrugged. "It was a good spot. Obviously been used before. Didn't see the sense in disturbing the forest more than I had to."

He didn't look convinced. "So you carried all that stuff here? From the parking area? That's quite the haul for one woman. I don't think any of us could have done it."

 _**That's because**_ **I** _**carried it!** _

You couldn't answer Agony without being immediately branded as insane so you glowered at the guys. When you didn't respond, Mister Stoic- Sam- only seemed vindicated.

Jason stepped past the others, too close to comfort, but not quite within arm's reach either. "So who are you working for? Is it that bastard Klein? Or maybe that cold bitch Addy?"

You tried your best to glower at him, but made the mistake of backing up. He followed step for step back towards your campsite. "I'm a researcher, asshat. I'm here because the USDA asked me to do an in-depth study on the health of the local flora and fauna in the area." There was a shred of truth to that; you _were_ studying the local wildlife, but only to keep yourself busy, not because some government organization hired you to.

Sam only smiled wolfishly. "That's a pretty nice cover story. Did you rehearse that?"

Ralph, Flashlight Guy, and Jason were following warily, but it was Flashlight Guy who spoke up tentatively, "Man, I don't think she's lying."

Sam whirled on his friend and the three of them froze. "Don't be so fucking gullible, Adrian. Where are her test tubes? Microscopes? Think, man!"

You froze in the middle of backing up and felt yourself puff up like an angry cat. "Oh, so I'm only a scientist if I sit in a lab all day, staring at slides under a microscope? If I'm mixing solutes and solvents under fume hoods? Well newsflash, asshole! A ton of biological research is done out in the field! My work is just as important as someone in a laboratory running tests on the latest vaccine or medication! I don't need to be wearing a white lab coat and protective goggles to make my PhD valid!" you snarled.

The three henchmen backed up a step at your angry verbal onslaught, but Asshole Sam stood his ground, arms crossed over his chest and chin jutting out stubbornly. "Yeah, I'm not buying that shit for a second. They probably hired some LA actress wannabe to throw us off the monster's trail." To your shock he marched into your personal space and shoved his face in yours. "Well, way I see it, you'll be okay for a day or two if we leave you tied up in your tent while we get our story lead."

_**Did he just threaten us? I can eat him now, right?** _

You could barely process Agony's voice, too shocked and scared at what was happening.

"Sam, what the-" Ralph began, sounding shocked. A glance past Sam's head revealed the three witless wonders staring at Sam as though they didn't recognize him.

"Shut the fuck up, Ralph. Adrian, get those zip ties out of your backpack. Now," Sam barked. When he didn't move, Sam whirled and advanced on him instead. "Do you want to be a no-name documentary maker forever, you goddamned brainless sack of shit? I said to get your zip ties!" he yelled.

_**I have been good, but this is too far. He will not restrain us.** _

"Agony, what-" you whispered, but before you could even finish your question, Agony was rushing out from beneath your skin, engulfing you in record time. Your eye line was raised about six inches as Agony came into being, letting you see over the head of Asshole Sam to the quickly-widening eyes of Ralph, Adrian, and Jason.

"What the fuck are you idiots staring at? Jesus, this is why I fucking hate working with you idiots. It's like talking to a brick wall!" Asshole Sam didn't hear Agony walk up behind him. Didn't feel the danger right behind him. He was as stupid as you thought. From the smell in the air, you were pretty sure at least one of the others had peed their pants. Agony's maw dripped with acid, a huge droplet of which landed on Asshole Sam's shoulder. It ate through the strap of his backpack within a second or two and the fabric of his jacket lasted only a moment or two more. When it finally reached his skin he hissed and jerked as though he'd been shocked by a cattle prod. His hand flew to his shoulder which was a bad decision, really, because all he did was spread the acid to his hand. He screamed as it began to eat away at the flesh of his palm and fingers. He dropped his backpack and held his hand in front of his face as he screamed out his pain. There wasn't enough acid to eat through the meat of his shoulder, but Agony salivated at the smell of blood and flesh. Acidic spit dripped onto the ground and pine needles, moss, and tiny plants hissed and smoked as it quickly turned them into soup. The sound finally broke through to Asshole Sam, who was sobbing so hard he probably couldn't even see very well.

Agony's big, clawed hand reached down slowly towards Asshole Sam, who managed to crawl backwards all of two inches before he tried to use his acid-raw hand and immediately collapsed in pain with a screech.

 **"Hello, meat sack,"** Agony purred. Its teeth-filled smile was likely to make all of them shit their pants in fear. **"How would you like to die? Acid shower? Ripped limb from limb? Or do you want it over quickly, with a crushed rib cage or beheading? I am partial to acid, myself. Gives everything a little extra zest,"** Agony said with relish as it picked him up like he weighed no more than a stuffed bear.

"Oh god," Asshole Sam breathed. "Please, no. I don't want to die!" he begged, tears streaming anew.

Agony lifted its other hand to Asshole Sam's cheek and ran its claws lightly over his skin. **"You should have thought of that before you threatened us,"** it said darkly. **"You have taken too long to decide. And I have other things to take care of. Beheading it is!"** it said excitedly... then opened its jaws wide enough to engulf and bite off Asshole Sam's still-screaming head. The clearing was abruptly bathed in silence as Agony's teeth crunched through the spinal column. You were almost used to the feeling of meat-blood slushy running down your gullet, but this time the knowledge that it was another person nearly made you faint.

 **"Who is next?"** Agony questioned the other three as Asshole Sam's headless body fell to the ground.

 _"Wait, A,"_ you said weakly, fighting back the urge to vomit or cry or both. _"They didn't want to do it. Just... destroy their tech. The proof. They don't deserve to die. He was mean to them, too,"_ you said, fervently hoping your currently sub-optimal speaking skills could convince Agony to leave the poor kids alone.

Ralph's legs gave out as he stared at Agony's impressively terrifying pink-purple visage. Agony took one step towards them and the unnatural stillness in the other two broke. They turned on their heels, screaming their heads off, and Agony watched their progress through the trees for a moment before its pearly gaze slid down to Ralph, who was staring at the two of you in horror.

 _"They're getting away, A,"_ you said worriedly, but Agony rumbled its dismissal.

 **"They will not make it far,"** it grumbled as it slowly reached into Ralph's pocket and pulled out his phone. It crushed it one-handed while the other rooted through his backpack and pulled out a go-pro and camera, which were also unceremoniously crushed to dust. Agony stood back up to its impressive height and stared down at the stricken human. **"Go home, little meat sack, before I change my mind. If you are here when I return, I will eat you."** When Ralph didn't move, Agony rushed forward, its face inches from his. He squeaked in fear and spread his legs wider so Agony's acid didn't land in his lap. **"Do you understand?"**

He seemed incapable of speaking, but at his frantic nodding Agony stood and began bounding after the other two.

 **"You are not fun,"** Agony rumbled as wind whistled past you.

 _"They aren't bad kids, A. Only the mean one tried to hurt us. Only he gets to die. That was the deal,"_ you argued.

Agony huffed its annoyance but didn't respond and within moments the last two boys- Jason and Adrian- came into view. With a great leap, Agony tackled them both to the ground. Its large clawed feet easily kept them in place as it rifled through their clothing and backpacks. At one point, Agony's acid-coated maw got too close to their faces, but a simple call of its name got it to move its face a safer distance away, though they kept flinching every time a glob of acid dripped onto the ground between them.

When their devices were reduced to dust Agony slowly (reluctantly) clambered off of them. Jason immediately curled into a defensive ball, but Adrian stayed in place, sobbing his eyes out. **"You will never speak of this. Or I will find you. All of you. And eat you."** Once again, they were in shock and didn't respond. **"Do you understand?"** it roared, scaring a few owls from their hiding spots.

Adrian only moaned in fear, but Jason nodded his head vigorously.

 **"Get out of our forest,"** Agony growled, then turned on its heel and began making its way back towards your camp.

Within thirty feet it began to recede back inside of you and you made an angry noise. _"Nuh uh. Nope. You wanted to chase them across the forest. You get to walk the entire way back."_ To your annoyance, it kept receding until you were left standing in the dark forest without a jacket.

_**I refuse.** _

You glared into the middle distance. "You get back out here right now, you ungrateful symbiote."

_**No.** _

"You ran at least a half mile chasing after those kids and it's too damn dark to find any trails. I could trip on a root and break my neck," you hissed as you crossed your arms in an attempt to lose less body heat.

_**I do not want to walk back. Walking is boring.** _

You groaned and wiped a hand down your face. A thought struck you then that made the blood drain from your face. "There's still a body at our camp... A headless body..." your hand was over your mouth as you fought the urge to vomit. Agony was currently digesting a human head. And you had the rest of the body sitting maybe ten yards/meters from your camp. You had to move immediately. Maybe you could go to a different forest. This one wasn't safe anymore.

Your inner breakdown ground to a halt as Agony surged out of your skin to engulf you again. **"I forgot there is food waiting for me! You are too slow! I do not want to wait!"**

And just like that, Agony began bounding back to the camp with your dialogue of _"No no no! Agony no! Please god no!"_ that was unceremoniously ignored.

* * *

**-One Day Later - San Francisco-**

 

Eddie Brock tapped his pen against his notebook and stared at the notes he'd taken so far. He didn't have enough to go on yet, but he was close. If he could get someone to talk, or get someone on record, maybe-

_**Eddie.** _

He was so used to Venom at this point that he didn't even flinch. "What's up, V?" he asked, trusting in the thickness of the walls of his office to keep his voice from carrying.

_**Hungry, Eddie.** _

Eddie glanced up from his notes at his phone, which displayed the time as 11:48 AM. Close enough to his usual lunch hour to warrant leaving a few minutes early. Jack wouldn't mind; not after his information led to the article about the Life Foundation that made the paper sell more copies than it had in the five years prior. "Yeah, yeah. Alright, big guy. What's on the menu today?" he grumbled as he began packing up his things for the short while he'd be out of the office.

**_Chocolate and fish sticks._ **

Eddie wrinkled his nose at the combination as he shrugged his coat on. "Whatever you say, pal," he said amicably.

_**We should eat with Anne and Dan.** _

Eddie ran a hand through his hair and scratched at the back of his neck distractedly. When did he last shower? He couldn't remember. "We ate dinner at their house two nights ago, bud," he muttered as he dug through the papers on his desk to find his motorcycle keys, then shoved them in his pocket. The silence that he was met with at that statement was somehow sullen even though he couldn't see Venom's face. He decided to let Venom sulk it out and grabbed his helmet from the chair next to the door. He made it all the way down to the lobby without Venom talking, which was a testament to how upset he was. He'd talk to him on the motorcycle, without so many people around.

Except the moment the elevator doors opened, the sounds of a ruckus in the lobby met his ears. Concerned and curious, Eddie walked towards the source, which turned out to be a young man- no older than 20- practically yelling at Richard, who looked stressed and upset.

_**If the small human has hurt Richard we will eat it.** _

Eddie frowned, but didn't contradict Venom. Richard was firmly on the list of Eddie's top five favorite people, so he wouldn't say no to that if the kid had, indeed, hurt Richard. But it seemed like all the kid was doing was yelling and making a nuisance of himself if the looks other people in the lobby were giving him were anything to go by.

"Man, please! Just let me up to talk to one of the reporters. Please! It's really important, dude! There's a monster out in Mendocino and it's eating people! It killed my friend!"

Richard looked pained, but kept the kid from going any further into the facility. "I can't let you up without an appointment, kid. I'm sorry," he kept saying, but the kid wasn't listening.

_**I know you're thinking about it. Don't do it, Eddie. We are hungry and-** _

"Hey, Richard. What's the issue?"

Both Richard and the kid looked at Eddie. The former looked panicked and the other practically fell over himself to get to him. Eddie's eyes widened in alarm and he took a decisive step back in case Venom thought he was a threat and decided to eat him in the middle of the lobby. "You're Eddie Brock!" the kid said way too loudly for being only two feet away.

Eddie frowned and stared at the kid who, on further examination, looked really fucked up. Dirty, tired, sweaty, harried. "That's what it says on my driver's license," he said, a stab at levity.

"You're the one who found the evidence to take down the Life Foundation! And all that stuff about those monsters that Carlton Drake brought to earth! Man, you have to help me! There's another monster in Mendocino Forest and it just killed and ate my friend but no one believes me! God, dude, you gotta help me!" the kid pleaded, his grubby hands clasped like vices around Eddie's shoulders.

 _ **That must be Agony!**_ Venom practically screeched in his head, nearly throwing him on his ass. _No shit,_ he wanted to tell the symbiote, but instead gently pried the kid's hands off his shoulders and tried his best to give him a reassuring smile.

"Alright, kid, alright. I'll hear you out if you promise to stop harassing poor Richard here, alright? You can tell me everything that happened over some lunch, huh? When was the last time you ate?" he said, ducking down slightly to see eye to eye with the poor kid. If his state was anything to go by, he might very well be telling the truth, and Eddie wasn't the best investigative journalist in the city for nothing. If there was any shred of fact in the kid's story, Eddie would find it.

The kid stared at Eddie for a few seconds before he nodded, practically deflating with the relief of the promise of being believed, or at least heard. "Yeah, okay."

Eddie smiled widely at him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hope you like fish sticks and chocolate."

The relief quickly turned to disgust, but Eddie was already walking towards the glass doors at the front of the building.


	3. Chapter 3

Taking the time to sleep, "clean up" the body, and pack up your campsite had been a risk. The kids could easily have gone to the cops, proof or no. However, the stuff at your campsite was basically all you had to your name. Your research, personal belongings, anything tying you to a remotely normal life. You had no doubts that Agony could keep you alive without it all, but you were also fairly sure you'd go insane without some semblance of a routine and normalcy.

You were just rolling up the tent when a voice made you freeze.

"Y'know, when that kid told me his story, I was half sure I'd end up walking around the woods for two hours with nothing to show for it by the end."

You froze, shocked that someone had managed to sneak up on you and Agony. A mouse could fart and normally Agony would hear it.

_**DANGER.** _

_You think?_ you thought furiously as you slowly turned your head to look at your unexpected guest. It wasn't a cop or park ranger like you'd been expecting. Even more surprising, it was someone you recognized.

"Eddie Brock?" you sputtered, turning around fully- still on your knees- to get a better look at him and ensure you weren't hallucinating.

_**You know this one?** _

You bit your tongue to keep yourself from responding to Agony. "Last time I saw you, you were being 'escorted' out of The Life Foundation," you said carefully.

That made Brock raise a brow. "You worked there, huh? Did you know about the human experimentation? That why you out here? Hiding from the consequences?" The carefree way he stood (hands in his pockets, shoulders relaxed) belied his accusatory and confrontational words.

You narrowed your eyes at his tone. "Not until after."

His sharp eyes were slowly taking in the area around you, but returned to you when he spoke. "After what?"

Slowly, carefully, and while keeping an eye on Brock, you continued to roll up your tent. "After two space monsters died while fighting on a space ship."

You didn't see the way Brock's face clouded over. Only the way that he tensed, which made you tense, too. After a long, strained minute with only the crinkle of the tent fabric to break the silence, he spoke again, "Y'know, most people who know about the human experimentation and the space shuttle explosion also know that one of the creatures survived; that the black one is still seen in the city occasionally."

 _ **What?** _Agony yelled much too loudly.

"What?" you echoed, dropping all pretenses to look at him in shock.

He watched you calmly. "And that seemed like genuine surprise. Seeing as all the reporters and police officers in the city can't get enough of the the big guy, that means you aren't caught up on all the news. At all. So that brings us back to you being a sack of shit that knew about the human experimentation."

_**Venom is alive! I am not alone! There is hope! The mission can still succeed if we work together!** _

You valiantly tried to tune out Agony's excited chatter and glared at Brock, who didn't seemed phased at all. "I was an assistant. I organized data. I thought all of it was theoretical. I never saw any people or aliens in the facility. I worked 9 to 5 in the offices there- a damned nobody who wasn't important enough to be privy to all of Carlton Drake's schemes. And thank fuck for that, honestly."

"That still doesn't explain how you knew about the human experimentation. The information about all that shady crap came out the morning after the rocket crash, and sightings of Venom started only a day or two after that. So how did you know about it unless you were part of it?"

You grumpily shoved the tent into its bag with way too much force and grimaced as it ripped.

_**We must find Venom.** _

_Yeah, I know, A,_ you wanted to tell it.

Instead, you grabbed as much as you could carry (which wasn't much, but you couldn't exactly have Agony help you at the moment) and began waddling towards the spot you'd stashed your car in. "While this has been fun, you're not a cop. I didn't do anything wrong, despite what you seem to think, but it's up to you to prove something. Innocent until proven guilty, journalistic integrity, and all that. So, if you don't mind-" you gave him a pointed look and started to walk past him, keeping plenty of distance between you, but he sidestepped and once again blocked your path.

"So you didn't kill a kid named Samuel Derek Henderson?" he asked. For accusing you so brazenly of murder he still seemed oddly at ease.

A chill ran down your spine and you tried not to let his accusation get to you. "Move." He was close enough at this point (and so directly in your way) you knew Agony would tear through him the moment it thought this might head south. As if on cue-

_**Do you want me to kill him? He looks a little greasy, but that just means he'll go down easier.** _

You shook your head almost imperceptibly, your low level panic keeping you from noticing the way Brock's eyebrows knit together. However, it wasn't enough to keep you from hearing him ask, "Do my eyes do that too?" while staring at you like you were a particularly fascinating and surprising bug he'd found in his front yard.

"Excuse me?" you asked, once again taken off guard by the man.

It seemed the reporter had exactly zero sense of self-preservation, though, because he closed the distance between you in a few long strides and ducked down until his face was so close you could see his individual eyelashes. "Huh. That's wild. I thought I was just imagining it when I saw them go all black in the mirror up 'till now. You're telling me anyone can see this? And you didn't think it was important to tell me?"

You blinked a few times, confused and becoming more sure by the second that Eddie Brock was, in fact, insane. You opened your mouth to tell him as much, but Agony began vibrating and shifting so excitedly it felt like the symbiote would shake itself right out of your skin. The feeling was so bizarre and unsettling that it took you a moment to realize it was chanting a litany of _**VenomVenomVenomVenomVenom**_ in your mind. You looked around for the big, black symbiote (even going so far as to check behind Brock) but your visual scan turned up nothing.

Agony was still screaming so loudly in your head that you felt like vomiting and got as far as telling Brock, "Listen, dude. Just fuck off-" before you realized his eyes were black. Solid black, swirling with spots of pearlescent dots that almost reminded you of stars in the night sky.

_**VenomVenomVenomVenomVenomVenom** _

Your bags dropped to the forest floor and you pointed at Brock with a look of absolute shock.

"Venom!"

_**Venom!** _

Brock's grin turned almost playful. "Is yours yelling too? It's Agony, right? That's what mine's yelling in my head. V said Phage died and obviously Riot blew up in the fireball, but we couldn't find Agony. I figured Drake or his scientists had killed it accidentally, but then some kid came in and told me he saw a monster and Venom and I had an inkling it might be the last symbiote, but there was also a pretty good chance the kid had been high off his ass. But, man. Those eyes. Did you know they get all... swirly? Pink and purple, though. Didn't expect that one."

You, however, were reeling. Venom was alive. And inside Eddie Brock of all people; The reporter that had made some frightening accusations against Drake (that you only realized later were probably all completely true). "But... how? Agony latched onto me when I investigated a code silver in the high security labs, but how did Venom find you? I thought Venom had taken over one of the other scientists!"

He straightened up and gave you a long, assessing look. "Hold on a sec, are you talking about the day before the shuttle explosion?"

You nodded quickly. "I was working late that night. Like I said, I organized data sets. I'd lost track of time so it must have been, like, eight or something by the time I was leaving, but Doctor Skirth was near the high security lab. She was acting real squirrelly and asked me to go print out my work- which is a huge waste of paper, by the way- and not even ten minutes later the code silver alarm went out. I knew she was probably all alone in there except for the security guards. No technical help whatsoever. I was worried about her and thought maybe, in all the chaos, I could get a peek at the labs, but when I arrived all the guards I saw were knocked out and the lab doors were open. I went to search for Doctor Skirth but didn't make it more than five steps before Agony blindsided me."

_**Wait a second.** _

"Huh. You were there the same night the doc snuck me in. Shit." He ran a hand over his jaw and from this far away you could hear his rough stubble scrape against his hand. "You have any idea how long V and I have been lookin' for you?"

You opened your mouth to answer, but your stomach lurched violently and you felt blood rush out of your face as adrenaline began coursing through your veins. Your eyes dropped to the forest floor and focused on a single spot as you fought to keep your breakfast down.

_**VENOM!** _

"Oh, hell," you whispered.

Brock's boots came into your field of vision and you tried valiantly to wave him off. "You okay?"

"Run," you gritted out, but it was too late. Agony came surging from under your skin and within seconds it had completely engulfed you.

Instead of running, Brock stared up at Agony's face, eyes wide and eyebrows hiked up in surprise. "You know, I should have figured she'd be big and pink with the whole eye thing. The hair tentacles, though? That's new and- GYEAAH!"

Agony grabbed Brock's entire torso and lifted him off the ground. **"Venom! Get out here, you damned traitor! Or I will snap this stupid meat sack's spine like a twig!"**

Brock was gasping for air as Agony's grip constricted, but within a second black goo began rushing from beneath Eddie's skin. His torso became so thick Agony dropped him, but he'd gained enough height that he fell only an inch/centimeter or so.

Agony had been right about one thing: its design was much more streamlined and graceful than Venom, which appeared to be all bulk, muscle, and lolling pink tongue. A single taloned finger poked Venom in the chest. The same amount of force would have dropped a normal human, but Venom only leaned back slightly. **"You killed Riot, you primitive paramecium!"** Agony roared.

 **"I do not know what that is,"** it rumbled back. Its head tilted to the side not unlike a confused puppy and you stared with rapt attention. Agony was the only symbiote you'd ever met or studied, so this was an unprecedented opportunity to learn more about Agony's race... and with any luck, Agony might not kill Venom. **"Nevermind, Eddie just told me."**

Agony stepped forward until it was close enough that you could see the way Venom's eyes and skin rippled. It was fascinating and also ruined when Agony's fist collided with Venom's lower jaw. **"Riot was always too soft with you! And look where that landed us! Alone on this hellhole of a planet with no way of escaping or making it back to our kind!"** It screamed in Venom's face.

The blow didn't seem to do much to Venom, though. Its jaw snapped back into place almost like rubber and you winced at the sight. It just... didn't look right. **"I like it better here."**

Agony went still as a statue for a second, but you could feel the rage bubbling just below the surface. All at once it was back in motion, flinging its considerable weight at Venom. The two of them went down in a tangle of limbs and tentacles and goo. **"You had no right to take that choice from me! From Phage! Not even from Riot!"** Venom managed to kick Agony off, but the moment Agony hit the ground it turned around and threw itself at Venom again, acidic maw open wide and dripping. Its jaw clamped around Venom's shoulder and the black symbiote screeched as the acid ate through the symbiote's cells. Its huge clawed hand struggled to grip onto Agony, but after a short eternity it wrenched Agony from itself and threw it across the clearing. To your surprise you crashed _through_ the trunk of a huge pine. You half expected to soar through the one behind it, but it managed to stop your impromptu flying lesson. A half second later pine needles rained down around you, but Agony didn't even seem to notice. It was completely focused on Venom, which was missing a considerable chunk from its shoulder. You filed away the interaction between Agony's acid and another symbiote for later study... assuming all four of you walked out of this alive. **"They are dead, Venom! And for what? So you could play house with your little human?"** It slowly clambered to its feet but you could tell it was taking a moment to recover from the hit. Even the largest game in the forest lasted barely a few seconds against Agony. This was unprecedented for it, you were sure.

 **"Phage was already dead. Riot left us to sit in those cells for _months_. We were dying. You know this,"** it growled. It was clear to you the black symbiote was content with staying as far away from Agony as possible. You commended it for not running or backing away, though. That would assuredly only inspire Agony to lunge. **"But I escaped. I saw more of this tiny, fragile world. I like it, Agony. I wanted to stay. Riot would not listen and he would come back and kill everything."**

Agony snarled angrily, but didn't move. _"There's not one thing you like about living here, A?"_ you asked softly. Agony's hand twitched and you could feel it shift uneasily.

**"We cannot go back to the ship... or home. Killing us will not change that."**

**"It would make me feel better."** And in a blink of an eye Agony was in front of Venom again, hand outstretched and maw extended. Venom moved so quickly you almost couldn't see it. It managed to dodge the acid-covered teeth, but Agony's claws made contact with squishy black flesh. Venom apparently hadn't anticipated the blades on the back of Agony's forearms because those left sizeable slashes in the other symbiote's black body as Agony twisted around in an attempt to land another blow or sink its teeth into the other.

 _"You really going to kill him, Agony?"_ you asked as the two symbiotes tore at each other like a couple of feral animals. More than once Venom managed to tear Agony away from you enough that you could feel fresh air on your skin. It was an unsettling feeling.

 **"Yes! He is a traitor!"** it screeched.

 **"Chocolate and tater tots are too good to share!"** Venom yelled back.

 **"I do not know what that is!"** Agony growled as it swiped at the larger symbiote. It was a relatively telegraphed attack, so you were more than a little surprised when it hit Venom and sent him tumbling to the ground.

 **"How do they not know about chocolate, Eddie?"** If you didn't know any better, it sounded almost... distraught. Its pearlescent eyes focused back on the two of you. **"Lobster? Cake? Pizza? Fresh cow heart?"**

Agony stopped mid-step and stared at Venom. **"What are they talking about?"** Agony asked you quietly.

 _"Food, A,"_ you said gently. _"Food we don't have access to out here."_

 **"There are more kinds?"** Agony sounded... hopeful.

_"Of course there are, Agony. The world is big. Lots of plants and animals and people to come up with ways to cook said plants and animals."_

The humming noise was so human you smiled. A smile that was quickly wiped off your face as Venom shrank back into Eddie before your very eyes. "No! No, get back here! She wants to kill you! She threatened to break my spine and-" He paused and frowned. "No! That's the stupidest-" He groaned and rubbed his face. "You can't just threaten to eat my liver every time I don't do something you want me to, man," Brock lamented.

Agony took a few large steps forward until it was more than close enough to slice Brock to ribbons. Brock, for his part, did admirably in not flinching or looking afraid. **"Did someone say liver? I would love to eat your liver, human."**

Brock smiled, of all things, and reached into his sweatshirt pocket. "Yeah, well, I think Venom has a claim to my liver. How about this instead?" he said, and held out a bar of-

 _"Chocolate,"_ you muttered, mouth watering. You hadn't had anything but wild game in a month and god did that tiny chocolate bar look damned delicious at the moment.

 **"Is it edible?"** Agony asked you, but Brock answered before you could answer.

He nodded and held it patiently out between you while Agony stared at it and him distrustfully. "100% edible, my pink-purple friend. I have about ten more in my saddlebags because Venom likes them so much."

The only endorsement Agony really seemed to need, though, was you chanting _"Eat it. Eat it. Please, let me eat it. Eat it, for the love of god I miss chocolate. If you don't eat it_ I'm _going to eat it."_

It stared at Brock for only a few more seconds before you felt it begin to recede beneath your skin. A few seconds later you were standing in front of Brock, who was staring at you with a single eyebrow raised. You shrugged, just as confused as he was.

_**Are you going to eat it? It is so small I think my acid would destroy it before it made it to our stomach.** _

You huffed out a laugh and grabbed it from Brock, who folded his arms across his chest and leaned back on his heels. He watched with an amused expression as you tore through the wrapper and- like the absolute heathen a month alone in the woods had turned you into- took a huge bite out of the chocolate bar, heedless of the pre-sectioned squares.

You nearly cried. How could you forget how good sweets were? Your waistline might have been thankful for a month in the woods eating lean game, but your mouth sure wasn't. "So good," you moaned before taking a second huge bite.

_**Eat all of it.** _

Agony was practically humming under your skin, seeming just as pleased as you were by this sudden development. "Can do, captain," you mumbled with a mouth full of chocolate.

You pulled the wrapper back to eat more of it, but it was- "Gone? Where did the chocolate go?" you said frantically, going so far as to search the ground below you.

"You ate it."

Your gaze flicked to Eddie Brock, who was staring at you with what was clearly barely-contained amusement. "What? No way. I had two bites, maximum. That was a huge chocolate bar."

That only made him smile wider. "Nope. You basically unhinged your jaw like a snake and ate the whole thing in in a few seconds. It was pretty hot," he teased.

If he was trying to get a rise out of you, he had succeeded. You gaped at him like a fish. He winked at you, but turned away and headed towards your campsite. It took you a few seconds to regain control of your shocked system and you began to speed walk in his direction to close the distance between you.

"Shouldn't take too long to finish packing up your camp with the two of us. You got a place in San Francisco still? Oh, and did you actually kill that Sam kid?"

You nearly got whiplash from the sudden turn in questioning. You stared at his back with narrowed eyes. Was this a trap? This had to be some sort of trap. Then again, what were the chances he hadn't killed people by now? Zero, if you counted Drake. "No, I don't have a place in San Francisco anymore."

Brock nodded easily. "And the kid?"

You stopped and stared at the ground as the memories rushed back. Fists clenched at your side, you felt your breathing go shallow and uneven.

_**You are distressed. What happened?** _

"Shut up," you hissed between clenched teeth.

The ground seemed so far away. The trees were getting closer, though. Closing in. Agony's voice buzzed in your mind but it might have been speaking Greek for all the sense it was making to you.

"Hey, hey, hey. Sit down. Head between your knees. Deep breaths, okay?" A voice next to you said. You liked the voice. It was a nice voice. Gentle, calm. So you listened to it and sat down and practically shoved your head between your knees.

 

 

 

 

The small patch of dirt and pine needles between your feet came into focus. No, that wasn't quite right. You'd seen them this whole time but your mind couldn't process what it was seeing. You managed to hear the sounds of the forest despite having most of your ears covered by the sides of your knees.

"Panic attack," you whispered, surprised at how quiet you sounded.

"Happens to the best of us."

The proximity of the voice startled you and you begrudgingly pulled your head from between your knees to look up at Brock, who was sitting less than a foot away. His legs were sprawled out in front of him, apparently completely relaxed as he gazed at you calmly.

"How long?" you whispered hoarsely. Water. Water sounded good. Maybe after you vomited.

Brock smiled wryly. "Long enough for my ass to go numb."

You shifted experimentally and winced. "Well, make that a double," you grumbled.

He picked at his fingernails and glanced warily up at you. "Sorry. Shouldn't have prodded. Professional reflex."

He seemed sincere, which gave you pause. A pause that ended with you turning away and hacking the contents of your stomach into the underbrush beside you. When you sat up your water bottle was waiting in front of your face, held in place by a hand that ended in a nearly indecent amount of bracelets. Too exhausted to care that he'd gone through your things, you grabbed it, rinsed your mouth, then took a few tentative sips. You watched him out of the corner of your eye, but he seemed determined to give you some measure of privacy by looking away.

"Is this a bad time to mention that the tree Venom threw you through happened to fall on your campsite?" he asked after a few silent moments.

You groaned and wiped a hand down your now-clean face. _**Does this mean I don't have to carry your trifles?**_ You glowered at the middle distance which was a mistake because Brock held his hands up placatingly. "Hey, don't blame me. That was Venom."

You glared at him in earnest now. "I wasn't glaring at you. Agony was talking to me; Said something stupid!" You said the last part particularly loud and hoped the symbiote would get the message.

Brock only nodded sagely, though. "I know all about that. You good to walk?"

"Probably. Rather sit here, though. Now that most of my earthly possessions are under a tree, the only place I have left to live is my car which, well... not ideal," you lamented.

Brock shifted anxiously and you watched him out of the corner of your eye as you sipped away at your water. Seemed your stomach was done trying to heave itself up for the moment. "You could come stay at my place?"

You nearly choked on your water and ended up watering the tiny plants in front of you in lieu of your lungs. He stared at you nervously and you gaped at him, confounded. "Was that a question or an offer?"

"Both?" he said with a helpless shrug.

You set your water bottle down and stared at him flatly. "Within five minutes of meeting each other we destroyed a small section of a forest, and you think it's a good idea to invite me to live with you? In the middle of a highly populated city?"

He ran a hand through his hair and looked away sheepishly. "It's not technically in the middle of the city. More like the outskirts," he mumbled as he gestured vaguely with his hands.

You scoffed at him. "You live in a bad neighborhood, don't you?"

His mouth opened and closed a few times as he struggled for words and you knew you'd hit the nail on the head. "It's not that bad. And, hey, crime rate's down lately." He was grinning at that last part. You refused to find it endearing (and mostly succeeded. Or so you told yourself).

"Uh huh. So let me get this straight. You want us- and our symbiotes- to live in a tiny apartment in a seedy part of town? And you don't see any problems with that?"

He didn't deflate, but the grin did slide off his face slowly. "Look, uh-" He blinked and frowned.

"You don't know my name," you said with a blank expression.

He refused to be shamed. "It wasn't the most pressing question between Agony trying to kill me and you having a panic attack, okay?" he countered.

You stared at him for a solid five seconds before you tipped your head towards him. "Fine. I'll give you that one. And I s'pose it's only fair 'cause I already know yours, _Eddie Brock_. It's (Y/N) (Y/L/N)."  
  
To your surprise he stuck his hand out to you and you took it after only a moment.  
  
Which was a mistake because it felt like you'd been shocked; Your skin buzzed with energy and you quickly pulled your hand from his grasp.  
  
_**Venom is disgusting.**_  
  
You frowned. "Rude, A," you mumbled at the same time Eddie said, "Pretty sure the acid only comes out of her mouth, Venom."  
  
_**Do not tell him. The less they know the better.**_  
  
You rolled your eyes but acquiesced Agony's demand. You pinned Brock with a stare and he seemed to sense it because he stopped to staring into the middle distance (listening to Venom, most likely). "I'll take you up on your offer."  
  
"You will?" He sounded shocked, as though he never thought you'd agree.  
  
_**You will?**_ Agony echoed, outraged.  
  
You nodded and clambered to your feet a bit clumsily. Sitting on the cold ground for so long had done a number on your legs. "Need to get a new tent and other supplies... and, apparently, enough chocolate to feed a small army."

 _ **Yes. Chocolate.** _  
  
He smiled and, for the first time since he wandered into your campsite, he looked happy.  
  
_**Your heart rate has elevated.**_  
  
"You're helping me carry all of my things. Seeing as you destroyed a lot of it and all."  
  
"Aww, c'mon." Despite his protest, you heard him dutifully following you back to your campsite.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Eddie leave the forest to head back to the city. It's a big change for you and you try to get a feel for the only other person on the planet to be a host for a symbiote. Some things go better than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long gap between chapters. I was on vacation for a month with no access to a computer! Glad to be back!

The only things that ended up making it out of the forest were your backpack (filled with notes and data from your time in the forest), your wallet, a spare set of shirt and shorts, and about three pairs of socks and underwear each. The tent, sleeping bag, and other bits and bobs were beyond saving thanks to the large spruce placed quite comfortably over the majority of your campsite.

To your surprise, Brock was both helpful and chatty. Or, more accurately, he rambled a lot and you occasionally gave him odd looks while Agony jabbered away in your head. More than once he said something completely unrelated to what he'd been talking about a few moments before and it took you a few minutes to discern when he was talking to you and when he was talking to Venom. After the remains of the camp was packed up (and the ruined tent and crushed fold-up chair had been thrown in the park's dumpsters), you made it all the way to the place you'd stowed your car to find it missing. You heard Brock shuffle to a stop behind you, but you were too shocked to even turn to look at him.

"Is it much further?" he asked good naturedly, despite the fact he'd been carrying one of your bags for a half hour.

You turned your head woodenly and pointed to the empty clearing in front of you. "Car gone."

He frowned at the spot, then at you. "Sure you just didn't forget where you put it?"

You groaned and sunk down to the pine needle-covered forest floor. "I surveyed this forest for an entire month. No way we're in the wrong spot. Someone stole my car," you moaned pathetically.

_**You left it out in the open.** _

"Under a camo tarp and branches!" you whined at your symbiote.

"Right next to the road, though? Someone was bound to find it eventually," Brock said with a tiny shrug as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the dirt road.

You wiped a hand down your face and groaned. "Not you, too."

That drew a short huff of laughter from Brock. "We'll file a report back in town. You ever ridden a motorcycle before?" The look you pinned him with had his eyebrows rising towards his hairline. "Take that as a no. I got an extra helmet." When you continued to stare at him apprehensively he merely smiled mildly. "You could always walk or hitch hike."

Your eyes narrowed at that but ultimately you realized that, short of stealing a car or getting a ride from a stranger (though no one was stranger than Brock, but better the devil you know and all that), he was your only real option.

_**I could run back to the city.** _

"That's a terrible idea, A," you muttered. "There's no way someone wouldn't get pictures or video of you." Even though it didn't respond out loud, the silence that followed was definitively surly.

Brock's feet were muffled by the dirt and leaf litter but that didn't stop you from seeing him approach out of the corner of your eye. A moment later his rough, large hand came into view. The callouses weren't something you'd expect to see on a journalist. They were hands that had seen manual labor. Could also be a musician- a guitarist, maybe. He seemed the type to secretly play guitar and belt out Wonderwall at local dive bars for a spare bit of cash.

"We're losing daylight, Rizzo."

You glanced up at him in confusion. "Rizzo?" You took his proffered hand because he was right on that account, at least. You'd barely make it back into town before the sun went down at this rate.

He helped you up and shrugged the moment you'd dropped his hand. "Betty Rizzo. From Grease. Cause, y'know-" He gestured to your whole person, "-Pink Lady?"

_**I don't get it.** _

You, however, slapped a hand to your forehead. "Motorcycle. Now. No more terrible Grease puns."

His grin was best described as shit-eating as he turned away from you and began walking towards the nearest parking lot. "Whatever you say. I'm just a fool who's willing to sit around and wait for you. Now, let's get going."

You glared a hole into the back of his head, fairly sure he'd made another reference but not knowing enough about the movie to call him out on it. Instead of asking, you endeavored to pretend like he hadn't spoken at all.

Sadly, the walk to the parking lot was longer than you'd expected. You and Agony hadn't eaten anything except that chocolate bar today so you were getting hangry, which could only end badly in present company. To distract yourself, you defaulted to what you knew best: science.

* * *

To Brock's credit, he fared valiantly against your onslaught of questions. He answered nearly all of them, declining to answer only a few. Once, he remarked on how odd it was to be on the other end of an endless torrent of questions, which made you smile despite yourself.

"I suppose our jobs are pretty similar when it comes down to it. Ask questions. Find answers. Get to the truth," you'd said after he'd made an off-hand comment.

You'd been expecting a snarky response, but he only hummed thoughtfully and kept walking.

However, your merry stroll through the forest had come to an end. You'd heard park visitors before you could see any cars or people, but not even a minute later the large colorful outlines of vehicles could be seen through the trees and bushes. Not a minute after _that_ you stepped foot on concrete for the first time in a month.

There was only one motorcycle in the whole parking lot. [A medium-sized black, white, and chrome monstrosity](https://www.harley-davidson.com/content/dam/h-d/images/motorcycles/my19/softail/heritage-classic/overview/dom/19-softail-heritage-classic-hero.jpg) clearly made for long trips instead of buzzing around the city. It was a Harley, but you wouldn't have been able to tell someone the model if a gun was pointed to your head. The lines reminded you of classic motorcycles and less of the crotch rockets you saw more and more often. The compartments (saddle bags, he'd called them) seemed large enough to hold your bags. True to his word, Brock pulled out two helmets, both relatively bulky but well cared for.

"Do you always carry around a spare?" you asked as you took the one he handed you and inspected the inside suspiciously. He held his hand out and you realized after a beat he was asking for your backpack. You handed it over a little clumsily as you juggled it and the helmet.

 _ **Obviously he killed the last person who went on this machine with him. We should run. Or kill him. And eat him. And kill Venom for good measure. It was probably that idiot's idea**_.

You rolled your eyes and gave Agony a tiny shake of your head.

He shoved the backpack into one of the now-empty saddle bags and dropped the smaller sack into the other. Instead of answering immediately, he took the helmet from your hands and put it on for you. You had half a mind to tell him off for helping you when you didn't ask for it, but the moment you could see again you were struck by how close he was. His blue-green eyes had a few flecks of brown in them and at that moment they were focused fully on making sure the chin strap on your helmet fit snugly. His fingers were gentle but his skin was rough and you nearly shivered at the feeling.

The spell was broken, however, when he put his hands on your head and gave it a thorough shake to ensure it would stay on and his smile once again turned devious as his eyes flashed black. "Yeah. I keep that one for whenever I give rides to drunks, homeless people, and my ex."

You got as far as getting your fingers around the clasp before his smile turned more genuine and he gave a small laugh. "Kidding. I'm kidding. Well, mostly kidding. My ex does wear it occasionally." He muttered before slipping on his own helmet and snapping the saddlebags closed. "Let's get moving. We don't got all day. I doubt the kid that tipped me off will wait long before going to the police," he said, not unkindly.

The subtle reminder of why you had to run made you feel as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped on your head. You practically stumbled over to the bike and somewhat clumsily climbed on behind Brock who turned the bike on the moment you were seated.

He turned to say something to you, but between the mild panic, rumble of the engine, and insulation of the helmet, all you heard was the rush of blood pounding in your ears. "What?" you mumbled awkwardly through the helmet. His visor was still up so you could see his eyes studying you carefully.

He took your hand so gently that you didn't even think to pull away and placed it around his waist. "I said 'hold on,'" you managed to hear over the roar of the engine. You took a deep breath and nodded. Holding on. Right. That would be a good idea. You slowly snaked your other arm around his waist. Seemingly satisfied, he flicked your visor down before doing the same to his own. The moment the bike righted itself and Brock kicked the stand up, you shoved your face into his back.

_**You are scared.** _

"Just a bit," you admitted quietly, confident Brock wouldn't be able to hear you.

_**Of him?** _

"Of a lot of things, A," you whispered. You bit your lip as Agony churned anxiously. Another deep breath as Brock pulled out of the parking lot and began making his way to the highway. "But... not him."

_**If they try to hurt us I will kill them.** _

That got a weak smile out of you. "I can always count on you, Agony."

* * *

Three hours, 145 miles/233 kilometers, and three rest stops later, the city finally came into view. Seeing it again after everything that happened ruined the sense of calm you'd managed to find on the scenic bike ride, tucked behind one Eddie Brock and Venom. You had to remind yourself that no one could know who you were under the helmet, much less what had happened to you. You'd get what you needed from the city, find a new place in the country to hide, and get out before the authorities could catch up to you.

The thoughts swirling around in your head distracted you so thoroughly from the flashes of the city going past that it wasn't until Brock began slowing down that you realized where you were. Every sense you had was on high alert as Brock pulled into a tiny garage at the bottom of an equally tiny, old house. It became clear at once where Brock had gotten all the callouses. Parts of the house were clearly being redone, repainted, or replaced. The inside of the garage seemed tidy, at least, and a beaten up motorcycle sat in the corner next to a workbench full of neatly-aligned tools and parts you would probably never know the function of.

You felt a bit like a newborn dear as you slid off the motorcycle. Brock flicked the motorcycle off and the sudden silence was startling. The clasp on the chin strap was nigh impossible for you to get undone without a mirror or something, but you refused to ask him for help. You were half a second away from asking Agony to simply shred it for you when Brock appeared in front of you and undid the clasp in a single easy, practiced motion.

"I could have done it," you mumbled as you pulled the helmet off and placed it on the shelf next to you. Brock opened his mouth to say something, but the shelf gave way. The helmet and a few home improvement items clattered to the ground and it was all too much. Agony burst forth from beneath your skin and a half second later you found yourself hunched over as Agony tried to keep its tentacled head from brushing the ceiling. You were very, very thankful the garage door had already closed.

"Hey, hey, you're alright," Brock said placatingly. Despite the even way he spoke, his eyes were wide and you could tell from the way he was flinching that Venom was speaking to him.

 **"She does not like this place!"** Agony growled. The anger in its voice made Brock swallow thickly.

"Somethin' wrong with my house?" he asked with as much levity as he seemed to be able to muster.

_"No."_

**"No,"** Agony repeated dutifully.

"Then what's the problem? Talk to me, Pinky," Brock said calmly. He moved very slowly to his motorcycle and sat down on it sidesaddle. Agony tracked his movements carefully and growled at the question.

_"Don't like Bayview."_

**"She does not approve of Bayview."**

Brock raised a single eyebrow but otherwise didn't move. "What's wrong with Bayview? I mean, it's not the greatest neighborhood, but I think this might be a bit of an overreaction."

_"Got mugged near here when I was younger. Haven't been back since."_

**"She was attacked and has not yet disposed of her assailant."**

You blinked a few times as your brain tried to process Agony's words. Once they finally made it through your thick skull you took a deep breath to begin regulating your breathing. _"Let me out, A. Please,"_ you said quietly.

Immediately it dropped the conversation it was having with Brock and focused on you. **"No. You are scared."**

You shook your head and felt Agony move with you. _"It's okay, Agony. Nothing's gonna hurt us in Brock's house. I'll just have to get over my fear. And, besides, you'll help me if anyone tries to hurt me, remember?"_

It hummed low and dangerous for a few beats before you felt it begin to recede back into you. Within a few seconds you were standing in front of Brock, who was watching you as though you were a dangerous and unpredictable animal. "We good?"

You shrugged noncommittally. "Think so?"

He stared at you for a moment more before nodding once. "Inspiring. I'm set right at ease." The sarcasm wasn't lost on you. Despite that, though, he turned his back on you and unlocked the door that led into the rest of the house. You followed behind awkwardly, not quite knowing what to expect to see inside.

Your first impression as you stepped through the door was that it was small. As you took in the furniture and furnishings that opinion evolved into small, old, but clean. There were a few spots of clutter, namely the table in the dining room-kitchen where it was clear Brock did most of his journalistic work, but, other than that, you found yourself surprised at how... comfortable the place felt. Cozy, even.

"Bathroom is that door there," he said, pointing to a light blue door that could barely be seen if you looked into the hallway from where you were in the kitchen. "Master bedroom and living room are upstairs. Any questions?"

You glanced at the clearly secondhand couch and pointed to it. "That a pull out?"

Brock grimaced at it like it had personally insulted him. "Nah, but I'm taking the couch tonight. You can have the bed." He gave it one last baleful look and walked toward the kitchen. He opened a drawer near the sink, grabbed a chocolate bar, and threw it to you over the kitchen island.

You caught it one handed as your brows pulled down into a scowl. "No, that's fine. I'll take the couch." As much as you wanted to throw it back at him, Agony was practically forcing you to eat the chocolate bar. You wondered if this was a ploy to get you to stop talking for a bit.

He didn't even turn to look at you as he began pulling out various pots and pans and a bevvy of ingredients. You were so busy back when you still lived in a house that you never really cooked for yourself, so even after staring at all of it for a few minutes you had exactly zero ideas of what he was planning to make with all of it. It didn't help that there was enough food to feed a small army (or two humans and their symbiotes) so you had no clue if he actually planned on using all of it, or which ingredients went to which dish.

"You can sit for a while, if you want. The TV remote's on the coffee table. I think," he said as he began tearing open packages and adding things to pots and frying pans. The smell of garlic and butter was enough to make your stomach growl, but you'd long grown used to the feeling for it to bother you much anymore.

The lumpy, ugly couch was calling to you, but realized at once you knew very little about Brock. "Can I help?" You asked as you turned back to look at Brock. However, it took you a minute to actually process what you were seeing.

Black limbs had sprouted from his back and were quite busily tending to the various pots and foods Brock's own two hands couldn't manage. "Hm?" he hummed and glanced at you over his shoulder. "Oh, yeah. Sure. Uh-" one of the black arms retreated into his body and he pointed to the pot it had been stirring. "Just keep stirring that. Keep it from burning?"

Your bag dropped to the floor with a surprisingly loud thunk, but Brock didn't even seem to hear it over the clatter of metal on the stove top. The kitchen was small, just like the rest of the house, so it was a bit of a squeeze to fit yourself next to Brock, who tried his best to scoot as far as he could to the side while still being able to cook. You took the wooden spoon and began to stir what appeared to be a sort of sauce a bit rigidly.

The silence turned awkward quickly.

_**Hungry.** _

It felt weird to answer Agony out loud, even though Brock was probably the one person in the world who would understand, so you just nodded in acknowledgement. Instead of letting the weird atmosphere persist, you gathered your courage and asked, "So, are you working as a journalist again?"

Brock froze for just a split second too long. It was apparently still a touchy subject (not that you blamed him). To his credit, he sounded nothing but pleasantly conversational when he answered, "Uh, yeah. I got my job back after I broke the case of Drake's corruption open. Even got a small raise, which I think was their way of trying to get me to stay quiet about my firing in the first place."

You cocked a brow. "And that worked?" That didn't seem likely. 

Brock's lips pulled up at the corners in a wry smile. "Nah, not really. I don't really set out to make trouble, but I have to do my job, y'know?"

You glanced at him, worried that he might get angry if you talked about the Life Foundation, but he seemed content and focused on his food. Relaxed, if you weren't mistaken. "I get that. More than once I found some numbers that ultimately meant a lot more work for my department. I got the cold shoulder for weeks."

As you expected, Brock made no mention of the Life Foundation. "But, hey. They didn't let you go. And not run out of your home town," he said while waving a spatula around.

You frowned down at the sauce in the pan as you mulled over his words. Run out of town? But he was still here, and- "Oh! Your accent. New York?"

Brock finally looked at you and the smile on his face made your heart skip a beat. "Nice guess. Give the lady a round of applause!" To your shock, the remaining black Venom arm dropped what it was holding and began clapping with the other hand that suddenly sprouted from the same limb. Brock rolled his eyes but his smile betrayed his amusement. "Rhetorical, man. Not actually supposed to clap." That reminded you of another question you wanted to ask and you opened your mouth to do so, only to have the words die in your throat as Brock leaned closer to you to check on the sauce. This close, you could feel the heat coming off his skin. "That looks about done. Good job, Pinky." He flicked the burner down to low and you let the spoon rest in the shallow pan and suddenly felt gormless and in the way without a job to do. "We're basically done here, if you want to set the-" He glanced at the dining room table, which was absolutely buried in papers and a laptop, then back at you. "You alright with eating on the couch? I think the food would be cold by the time I managed to clear that off." His eyes got that slightly far away look they had whenever Venom was talking to him. You waited patiently while they conversed. Sure enough a moment later Brock answered, "No, you can't just shoved it all off the table. It would take me hours to reorganize everything and I wouldn't make my deadline. No, and that's final." Another pause, then, "You're just hangry. We're about to eat so just hold on a few, okay?" His gaze refocused on you and you smiled at him. He and Venom sure had a very casual rapport. Not completely unlike yours and Agony's, but yours tended to have many more scientific questions than theirs seemed to.

"I'm fine with eating on the couch," you said easily. "Plates and silverware are...?"

"Oh. Uhhh... Plates in the dishwasher. Silverware in that drawer."

Sure enough, they were exactly where he said they were. You pulled out two sets and left the plates on the counter so he could serve up whatever masterpiece he'd created for the two of you. You left him to juggle the food and took a seat at one far end of the small couch. The TV was maybe a few years old, but nice enough. You flicked it on and immediately turned to the news. You had a lot to catch up on.

A minute or two later a steaming plate of food appeared under your nose and it took every ounce of restraint you had to not just open your mouth and shovel it down your throat with your spoon. "Smells good," you managed to say instead as you took the heaping plate from Brock's hand and tucked in the moment it was placed securely on your lap. You tried the red pile of food first and the moment it hit your tongue you moaned and melted back into the couch.

Brock was smiling smugly. "Good?"

You didn't care that you had a mouthful of food. "So good," you groaned happily. It had been an entire month since you'd eaten any real food. Uncooked game just... wasn't that appetizing. It kept Agony from eating you from the inside out, but it left a lot to be desired in the taste department. "What _is_ this?"

"Shakshouka. It's from North Africa," he said after he'd swallowed a mouthful of food. Clearly feeding a symbiote and a person led to some poor table manners if the two of you were anything to go by.

You nodded contentedly and continued to stuff your face. If the feeling under your skin was anything to go by, Agony was enjoying itself, too. The newscaster on the TV continued to drone on and on about something else that Tony Stark had done recently. By the time they called in other people to yell at each other in a conference call, Brock was staring dispassionately at the screen.

"Why are you watching this, anyway?" he asked between mouthfuls of food. You finally finished the red pile of food and switched over to the pile of what appeared to be ground meat and green beans. It was just as delicious as the first dish, but not as spicy.

You shrugged. "Missed a lot while I was living as a hermit in the woods. Wanted to catch up on it all. I'll probably go do some research on the Life Foundation later... once I get a new phone."

Brock nodded along, but when he spoke there was something clearly lightly mocking in his tone. "That sounds like a lot of work. If only you knew someone who was up to date on news around the city, who was also aware of what was really happening at the Life Foundation. That sure would make your life a whole lot easier."

You slowly turned away from the screen to look at him, trying to look less guileless than you felt while ignoring Agony's smug laughter (the traitor). "Yeah, that sure would. Any idea where I can find one of those?"

Brock pretended to seriously consider the question. "Dunno. Think I'll do?"

You turned away and bit back a smile. "S'pose you'll have to."

His snort of amusement made you smile and you changed the channel to something much happier than the news and the real world: Game of Thrones Season Seven.

* * *

"C'mon, Pinky. Wake up."

You groaned your annoyance at the voice. Couldn't it tell you were sleeping? You hadn't slept this well in weeks. The bed was soft and even sitting up was the most comfortable you'd been since you'd left the luxury of your nice apartment in Pacific Heights.

"C'mon, Pinky. I don't wanna have to carry you."

You hummed and tried to fall back asleep despite the voice's best efforts to keep you awake. You wouldn't care if it carried you somewhere, so long as you didn't have to move.

The voice sighed and you grumbled unhappily as the bed (not bed?) shifted as something moved next to you. A few seconds later a pair of arms was lifting you into the air like you weighed nothing. Quite happy to not have to move, you rested your head on the voice's shoulder. "Feel like a princess," you muttered sleepily. That drew a rumble of a laugh from the voice's chest. A minute later you felt yourself being lowered onto what felt like the world's fluffiest marshmallow. It smelled nice, just like the voice, and you wiggled a bit to get comfortable as a blanket was pulled over you.

"You're as pretty as one, Pinky. Sleep well," the voice mumbled. You had to admit that it was a nice voice (even if it _had_ woken you up).

"G'nigh', Prince Charmin'," you mumbled to the room, not even sure if the voice was still there.

The door clicked shut a moment later, but you didn't hear it because you were already asleep by the time Brock made it to the first step.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that you've had a good night's sleep and a hot meal (that wasn't hot because the animal had been living moments before) your brain finally resets a bit, only for what happened over the last month to crash into you harder that a semi-truck. You quickly grow to resent the symbiote living under your skin and want it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Self Harm, Blood, Violence (against furniture and yourself)

Sun streamed in from the window and warmed your face. It was pleasant enough that you could ignore the sounds of the city outside. The bed below you was blessedly soft and you were thankful it was the weekend so you could sleep in a little. If it had been a weekday your alarm would have woken you up by now. Doctor Skirth didn't tolerate your lateness, but it wasn't like you hated being at work to begin with. It was a dream job.

Maybe you could go for a walk if the weather had gotten better. That would be nice. It wasn't like The Presidio was far away. You could stop at the coffee shop and grab some breakfast from their little cafe since the fridge was [always] empty. Maybe that cute barista would be working again. You were pretty sure you got extra coffee the last time you were there. And while you were at it you could just take a bite of-

Blood splashed onto your skin, wet and warm. A headless body dropped to the ground at your feet, a puppet with the strings cut. Screams filled your ears and the scent of urine and iron filled your nostrils.

_**Hungry.** _

Your eyes opened as you jolted awake and, in the split second before you leaned over the bed and vomited the bile from your stomach, you realized this wasn't your room; wasn't your apartment.

Last night and, more importantly, the last month crashed down around you and you retched onto the worn hardwood floor. The moment you could breathe you sucked in a shuddering breath and swore quietly as tears began to flow down your face. You laid on your side on the bed and slowly pulled your knees to your chest, not caring about the sick still on your face (not when there was a good chance you'd just vomit again) as the quiet tears became hiccuping sobs.

Agony had been babbling to you in your mind, but you'd been ignoring it.

"Why me?" you sobbed, blinded by your hot, salty tears.

_**Because human nervous systems are predisposed to be affected by the emotional state and extreme emotional fluctuations can occasionally result in emesis.** _

You shook your head and had to take a moment to catch your breath between sobs. "Why did you _choose me_?" you whimpered. "Why did you ruin my life? Turn me into a monster?" When it didn't answer, your despair took on an edge of anger. "I was normal!" you yelled, not caring that you might be overheard by anyone. "I had a job I loved and I didn't want to eat all the time!" You slammed a fist into the bed and hissed, "I didn't want to eat people. I didn't know what human flesh tasted like. I didn't know what a man sounded like as he screamed, knowing he was about to die." Still no answer, and your face twisted with rage. "Answer me!" you screeched hoarsely.

_**Because you were a convenient host who happened to be compatible. Nothing more.** _

Something inside you snapped and you tore out of bed, not caring that you stepped in your own vomit. You were beyond caring. There was only anger. You grabbed the shitty little lamp on the bedside table and tossed it so hard against the wall that it smashed to tiny pieces and cracked the plaster. It wasn't enough. You took a step forward, not feeling the shards of the lamp cut into the soles of your feet. The little bedside table tumbled to the ground shortly after, its wood groaning pathetically as its contents rolled around in the little drawer. The pillows were next and within moments their stupid fluffy white stuffing littered the ground with the lamp shards.

"Get out!" you yelled at the parasite, absolutely livid. How dare it use you like this. You owed it nothing. It deserved nothing. To your fury, it didn't answer and definitely stayed inside you. "Get out, you leech!" you screeched as you raked your nails down your forearms, not caring that they broke skin and drew blood. _It_ was inside you. You had to get it out. "Get out, get out, get out!" You fell to your knees and grabbed a decently sized shard of glass from something (a glass that had been on the bedside table, maybe?) and got as far as pressing it to your skin before a pair of arms was around you and two big hands wrenched the piece of glass from your hands.

"No! No, I need to get it out! Let me go!" you yelled, struggling quite futilely against whatever was holding you. It was a sickness and if you just got rid of it you'd be okay again and everything would be fine.

"Hey, hey, hey. Just breathe, (Y/N). C'mon, deep breaths for me, okay?"

You knew that voice. Eddie Brock. That explained the inhumanly strong arms. "I have to- Have to get it out-!" you whimpered as you struggled against his grip. He had to understand. He should _know_. Your sobs returned with a vengeance but your tear ducts were slowly drying up. "Please. Please, help me. I don't want this," you cried, voice breaking halfway through. You stopped struggling and Brock took the opportunity to turn you in his arms so you could bury your face in his neck as he clutched you to his chest.

"That's it, princess. Let it all out. Keep takin' those deep breaths for me, alright?" he said quietly, lips hovering close to your ear.

You gasped in a breath, but despite your best efforts it still came out as a sob. Frustrated and unable to do anything else, you slammed your palms down on his shoulder and side a few times. "S'not fair," you mumbled pathetically as you went boneless in his arms.

Brock took a deep breath and you focused on matching it (that was a thing, right? Matching someone else's breathing to calm down? You were pretty sure it was). "I know," he whispered as one of his big hands soothed down your hair. The thumb of his other hand was rubbing small circles into your back and you simply let your tears peter out, not caring that they had soaked through his thin cotton shirt. You didn't care that you barely knew the man, either. He was the only one providing you comfort at the moment, so you slowly wrapped your arms around his surprisingly toned waist.

"I'm sorry I wrecked your stuff," you murmured the moment you regained control of your breathing.

Your voice was muffled because you had it shoved into the meat of his shoulder, but he apparently understood you because he gave you a gentle pat and said, "It's alright. That lamp was ugly anyway."

You clutched at the fabric of his shirt and bit your cheek to keep yourself from crying again. "You're being too nice to me."

He didn't respond right away, but his hands did slow down until they laid still on your head and back. You tilted your head up to look up at him and found him staring down at you. The look on his face made you immediately shove your face back into his chest. It was soft and kind and just _too much_ at that moment. "How about you let me carry you to the bathroom to clean up those feet of yours, hmm?"

As if on cue, said feet began throbbing as your brain finally registered the pain. You merely nodded, not trusting yourself to speak. You were still an emotional wreck and if you opened your mouth at that instant you were fairly sure you'd just start crying again. In a show of strength and dexterity, he stood as he easily arranged you more comfortably in his arms and a sense of déjà vu washed over you. "Thanks for carrying me to bed last night. And giving me your bed," you muttered sheepishly.

"No problem, princess," he said easily as he made his way downstairs and into the tiny, dingy bathroom. It was so sketchy you weren't sure you'd ever walk barefoot in here, even without your feet cut to ribbons. However, it was hard to begrudge the grittiness when you'd just trashed the man's bedroom. You sat on the closed toilet seat and refused to let your feet brush the ground while Brock grabbed the med kit from under the sink. "You're probably gonna heal fast, so I'm going to focus on getting this glass out as quick as I can, then disinfect the wounds."

"Thanks." You wondered why he didn't ask why Agony hadn't healed you, but it wasn't like the house was huge. He'd probably heard most (if not all) of your fight. One by one, glass and pottery shards clinked into a tiny metal tin on the ground next to Brock.

In the silence your mind began to wander, but, in the middle of switching to your left foot, he said without looking up, "Life never has been and never will be fair. The evil are rewarded, the poor are persecuted, and the good die in vain. My time as a journalist has exposed me to some of the shittiest sides of humanity that you'll ever see. Some days it was hard to get out of bed because I knew there would only be suffering waiting for me when I got to work; when I followed up with a contact or explored a lead. But I never stopped. Not even when I was run out of New York or when Carlton Drake blacklisted my name here. Never stopped trying to find some justice in this world;  for others and for myself." He paused and sighed heavily, even as his hands kept moving. "Sometimes people get dealt shit hands, but it's what you do after it that matters most. We-" he poked you in the shin with the tweezers before returning to picking at your feet, "-happen to be hosts for aliens that need us to survive on Earth. Aliens who like the taste of humans. Aliens who don't want to leave us because we're good matches. Aliens who can't escape Earth any time in the near future now that Carlton Drake is dead and Tony Stark hasn't started selling tickets for leisure trips to deep space yet. Aliens who have no qualms with eating a lot of people if they get hungry. So, the question you gotta ask yourself is: What are you going to do with the cards you've been dealt?"

You sniffed heavily and tilted your head up to stare at the ceiling, trying to focus on the pain in your feet if it meant ignoring how completely shitty you felt emotionally while thinking about his question. "How do you do it?" you whispered.

The shards of debris stopped tinkling into the metal tin and you gritted your teeth as he ran disinfectant over the weeping cuts. "I buy chocolate in bulk and take it one day at a time." The towel under your feet collected the blood, disinfectant, and whatever tiny shards of debris got washed away and you grimaced as he started rinsing out the other foot.

"You still kill people, don't you? You and Venom?" You didn't want to look at him, too afraid of what you'd see.

You'd been expecting him to sidestep the question or lie, so you were taken off guard when he responded immediately with a steadfast, "Yeah, we do."

Your gaze snapped down to him at the admission, but he was busy getting gauze and tape ready. "And that doesn't seem like a problem to you?"

Brock finally looked up at you and the look in his eyes made your heart stop for a moment. They glinted with danger. "I got my own code. I don't get pleasure from killing people, if that's what you're worried about. Venom needs to eat or he starts eating me, and we stop people non-violently if we can."

You stared at Brock, frown slowly pulling your brows low. "Agony didn't need to eat people," you countered.

He got that far off look that meant Venom was talking to him. A few moments later his eyes refocused on you and you waited apprehensively for whatever Venom had said to be relayed in some way, but all Brock said was, "Agony seems to care about you, you know."

You scoffed and had half a mind to shove your bloody foot in Brock's face for that comment if you weren't fairly sure Venom would take a chunk out of you given the chance. "That's absolute bullshit. I heard it from the great pink glob itself that it only chose me because I was convenient."

"That's how your relationship started, sure, but plenty of people meet by coincidence," he reasoned easily as he started piling gauze onto the bottom of your feet.

"Most people aren't aliens that turn you into cannibals and plan to use you to help destroy your home world," you hissed.

"Which, again, is how your relationship with Agony _started_. Can you really say it didn't evolve in your time together?" he said quietly as he finished taping down the gauze on your first foot. "Because, according to Venom, they should be eating more often than once a month."

"We ate every day. Birds, deer, turtles, squirrels. Any animal you can think of in that forest."

His gaze turned almost gentle. "Not what I meant, princess." The implication hit you like a ton of bricks and you forgot to breathe for a few seconds until Brock placed some gauze on your other foot and the pain made you hiss in a breath. "It seems like they can live off of one host if we also feed 'em chocolate, but Agony? She should have been eating you from the inside out."

You laid a hand over your stomach and clenched the fabric of your shirt between your fingers. "S'that true?" When Agony didn't respond, you were a bit worried. Agony had never not answered you in some way before. "Agony?" you whispered, voice nearly failing you.

_**Are you still experiencing a combative state caused by elevated hormone levels?** _

"I'm not gonna yell at you, A. Is what Brock said true?"

_**Affirmative.** _

"Have you been starving yourself this whole time so you wouldn't have to eat me?" Your fingers dug into the skin under your t-shirt. Brock took your other arm and began dabbing at the scratches with some gauze drenched in disinfectant.

_**I can survive on other fauna for a short period of time. It is, however, inefficient so I have been... declining slowly.** _

"And you didn't say anything? I asked you questions about stuff like that every day!" you hissed at the symbiote as your eyes began to sting.

_**It did not seem relevant while I was the only one of my kind remaining on this planet.** _

"And now?"

It churned nervously inside you, but you were just happy to feel it again. _**I wish to stay alive. With you.** _

You shoved your palms into your eyes and tried to keep yourself from becoming a blubbering mess again. "Yeah. Yeah, okay," you whispered while nodding.

_**We can stay together?** _

You nodded more vigorously. "Yeah, A. Together."

"Did you two come to an understanding?"

Brock had been so quiet while you were talking things out with Agony that you'd almost forgotten he was there for a minute. His voice even startled you enough to make you jump. After you took a breath to slow your heart down a bit, you nodded. "Guess so."

Brock actually smiled at that. A sincere, happy smile, even. "You gonna heal her wounds, Agony? Or does she gotta get carried around by me while she heals?"

To your horror Agony's head materialized from a tendril on your shoulder and- all toothy grins and mischievous eyes- said, **"She likes it when you do. Maybe it is a piece of my master stratagem to improve her quality of life."**

"Agony!" you yelped as you tried valiantly to make it go back by any means necessary. As if it couldn't get any worse, it _winked_ at Brock before sliding back inside you. Despite its words, though, you could feel your skin prickle uncomfortably as Agony knitted it back together. The scratches were the last to go, as though Agony was silently pointing out its express displeasure at you hurting yourself. Your wounds quickly turned itchy and you picked up your foot to itch it, only for the sound of tiny pieces of glass hitting the ground to drawer both your and Brock's attention. Tiny pieces of glass were pushing themselves out of your feet; pieces Brock had obviously missed during his first aid session.

_**He is terrible at performing medical aid.** _

Brock scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly and avoided eye contact. "It's, uh, the effort that counts?" he said, then immediately winced. "Okay, yeah, that was bad. Uh, I would have taken you to the hospital if Agony didn't heal you?" his voice got progressively higher as his nervousness rose.

He finally looked up at you after you didn't respond and you smiled at him. "Thanks, Eddie."

He immediately looked away, perhaps even more nervous, which only made you smile wider. "Oh, uh, yeah- Um. No problem," he managed to get out as he hurriedly used the towel to wipe up the worst of the glass shards and was halfway out of the bathroom with the tin and bloody rag before he tripped on his own two feet and began falling. You reached out for him knowing you wouldn't make it in time, only to watch purple-pink goo grow from your hand. In the blink of an eye it caught Eddie by the waist of his pants.

The moment hung in the air for a few beats. You leaned to the side to try and get a peek at his face, but all you saw was a mass of black goo as Venom braced him from the front. By the time Eddie was standing up again and the symbiotes had receded into their respective hosts, his face was carefully impassive as he turned back to you. "You can shower, if you want. I'll grab you a towel. Feel free to borrow some soap and shampoo."

It seemed like you were supposed to pretend that hadn't just happened.

He took a single step more towards the door but you grabbed his arm, only to immediately drop it as second later as what felt like a jolt of electricity ran through you. "Eddie?"

The way he shuffled nervously was so endearing you couldn't help but smile at him. "Thanks. For everything."

He made it a step or two more towards the door, but kept facing you. "Yeah, yeah. No problem. Do you, uh- do you need any help getting into the tub?"

You smiled at him as he floundered a bit. "No, I'm alright. Agony healed my feet."

He nodded and fiddled with his bracelets as he took another step into the doorway. "Okay. If you need anything, I'll just be in the living room. I'll grab your bag with the extra clothes from the living room while I'm getting you a towel?"

You tilted your head to the side a bit as you studied him and said, "That would be great, Eddie." You expected that to be the end of it, but he simply stood in the doorway with a look on his face that made you think he'd been hit over the head with a frying pan or something. "Eddie?" you asked, eyebrow raised.

He snapped back to himself all at once and nodded quickly. "Right. Yep! Enjoy your shower!" and quickly closed the door behind himself as he left.

You stared at the door, confused and amused all at once.

_**He is acting erratically. He and Venom are probably plotting to murder us.** _

You shrugged and began stripping off your disgusting clothes. You turned the water on a moment later, hoping the noise would mask your conversation with Agony. "I dunno about Venom, but I somehow doubt Eddie wants to kill us."

_**It is obviously a ruse.** _

You rolled your eyes and gathered your clothes into a messy pile before stepping into the shower. The moment the hot water hit your skin you let out a groan of unadulterated pleasure. Forget sleeping in a bed, this should have been the first thing you did when you arrived yesterday. "They can plot to kill us all they want if it means I get to take more hot showers," you mumbled happily as you let the gloriously hot water run down your body in rivulets.

**_Can we consume chocolate when you are done cleansing your exterior of filth?_ **

You nodded easily and reached for the soap, eager to be truly clean for the first time in a month. "You got it, cap'n."

You could do this. You could play the hand fate had dealt you and come out on top.

With determination burning in your veins, you planned your day out while you washed away the dark clouds still lingering in your mind.


	6. Chapter 6

By the time you walked out of the "walk-ins welcome" salon with a new haircut, you felt more sane and grounded than you had in months. That was, however, essentially the last of your cash, so the next stop was an ATM or bank. Going to a bank meant interacting with even more people (which meant even more chances for something to go wrong), so you quickly began looking for an ATM. Luckily, it was the 21st century, so you spotted a little bodega that boasted an ATM in glowing neon in the front window. You contemplated what you could bring back to Eddie's apartment for lunch and dinner as you stepped inside the cramped but well-lit and clean shop. The only other human being in the store was a middle aged man who was focusing all of his attention on the little radio on the counter. It was noisily broadcasting what you guessed was some sort of sports coverage (in Samoan or another Polynesian language, if you weren't mistaken).

He completely ignored you beyond a courteous nod and smile as you entered. Your shoulders- which were practically up to your ears with nervousness- slowly sank back down as you pulled your wallet and credit card out.

_INSUFFICIENT FUNDS._

You stared at the screen for a moment, then tried again with the same card.

_INSUFFICIENT FUNDS._

But that should have been impossible. You had a few thousand dollars saved up. You hadn't touched your accounts while you were in hiding. You groaned and smacked yourself in the head. You'd been missing for an entire month. They'd probably done something to your account to keep your money from being stolen, likely thinking you'd been kidnapped or some such nonsense.

It looked like you were headed to the bank.

_**I do not understand the purpose of human monetary systems.** _

 

The walk was pleasant. It was getting hotter out by the day as summer approached, but it was partially cloudy and with the breeze rolling in off the water it was downright enjoyable to be outside, in spite of your anxiousness. This was your first foray outside since being back and even with your hair cut and makeup done, you were worried you might be recognized. Eddie had offered to come with you, but you took one look at the mess still plaguing the dining room table, politely declined, and told him to work. There were definitely making it difficult for him to reach his deadline.

You shook the thoughts of your... friend? Fellow host? Hot journalist patron...? from your mind and walked into the bank, trying your best to look calm and in control. The line was short (which you supposed wasn't that surprising for the time of day. Most people were at work since it was Monday) so you stepped right up to the counter the moment one of the tellers called you. She was a young woman with a customer service smile but kind enough eyes. Felicity, if her name tag was to be believed.

"How may I help you today?"

"Uh, hi. I tried pulling some money out of my account today and was told I have insufficient funds, but I know that's not the case," you said, happy your voice hadn't wavered.

"May I have your account number and ID please?" You pried your driver's license out of your wallet and rattled off the number as she tapped away on her keyboard. "Oh, I see the problem. Your account is red-flagged. According to our system, you're dead."

She had said it in such a matter-of-fact tone that you couldn't help but gape at her. "Sorry, what?"

She shrugged and gave you a sympathetic look. "Would you believe me if I said this isn't even the first time I've seen this happen? Most of the time people pull the dead card to avoid taxes or loans or something, but you don't really seem the type."

Your mind was reeling. If the bank thought you were dead, then- "The world thinks I'm dead?"

_**You're not dead.** _

She tried her best to keep her face neutral, but her lips turned down in a sympathetic frown. "Well, the government does, at least. Lucky for you, you should be able to get it resolved in a few days. The Social Security Administration should be able to fix your account. Their closest office is in Mission District but there are two more a little farther north if that one doesn't work out for you."

You numbly took your license from her outstretched hand and shoved it back into your wallet without really looking. "T-thanks," you said, not knowing what else to say to a woman who just told you that you were dead.

She smiled, but her eyes were watching you with a hint of worry. "No problem. You can call the bank if you have any questions or if you get the issue cleared up. Have a good day."

You nodded and shuffled towards the door like a zombie. Did the world think you died in the lab the day Venom and Eddie destroyed the space ship? The logs would have shown you working that night and not having left. If the explosion was destructive enough it was possible that the medical examiners and crime scene investigators would have ruled you killed. There were probably enough unidentifiable bodies in that hell scape of a lab to make that possible. But what if being "dead" meant it kept you and Agony that much safer? People who knew what was going on in the Life Foundation didn't know you survived. Maybe it was better to stay "dead." You could get a job that payed cash, or go back to living off the land. You'd definitely have to start going by a different name, not to mention leave the city as soon as possible. This was the digital age and there was already probably hours of video of you walking around San Francisco which meant people were coming for you and Agony and-

_**Breathe.** _

You came to a sudden halt on a busy street corner and gulped down a breath of air. The world materialized around you slowly as you fought to even out your breathing. You leaned against the wall of the little cafe and ignored the odd looks you got from passersby.

_**One step at a time.** _

You nodded and wrapped your arms around your waist, waiting for the world to stop spinning. "Thanks," you breathed, much too quiet for the people around you to hear.

**_You are prone to spikes in adrenaline which is tasty, but the emotional turbulence has long-lasting negative effects which I hope to avoid._ **

Was this its way of saying it doesn't want you to be sad or spiral? You chose to take it that way. A smile crept up on your face and you took one last deep breath before you turned . "Mission District?"

_**The monetary woman made mention of such a location. According to her report, the Social Security Administration Office- whatever that may be- is located there.** _

The Mission District wasn't exactly small and it was a long walk to get there from Bayview to begin with. You didn't have money for a taxi or Uber (not that you had a phone to order one, anyway). In fact- you grabbed the cash from your wallet and rooted around in your jacket pockets- you had $7.39. You shoved the cash and change back into your pocket and pulled out the chocolate bar you'd nicked from Eddie's stash. You and an alien symbiote could survive off of seven dollars and a chocolate bar for a few hours, right?

Your stomach rumbled loudly as you bit into the chocolate bar and you sighed.

It was going to be a long few hours.

 

The seven dollars and thirty-nine cents ended up going towards a fat burrito from a food truck that tasted delicious despite what Agony's whining would have had you believe. The two of you would have to survive on only the chocolate bar on the way back, but you'd survived worse.

The building itself- when it finally came into view- was tall and made of stone with equally tall windows. The yellow and blue parking garage was much less distinguished, but you ignored that and opened the door, only to nearly run into a woman who was strutting out. Her power suit, stiletto heels, and fierce gaze had you practically jumping out of the way, but the moment she realized what had almost happened, her intimidating stare broke like the clouds and she gave you a smile. "Are you alright?" she asked, gorgeous hazel eyes looking you up and down concernedly.

"Oh, yeah. Thanks."

_**Hungry.** _

You ignored the symbiote and smiled at her, not noticing how she'd gone incrementally stiffer than she'd been a moment before. "You have a good day," you said sincerely before you sidestepped her and quickly looked for the line or ticket counter or whatever meant you'd be seen as soon as possible, not noticing how she watched you the entire time until the door closed, unreadable look on her face.

 

Luckily for you, all you needed was your driver's license and a boatload of patience. By the time you signed your name one last time you were fairly sure your hand was going to fall off and Agony was going to eat the poor agent helping you. Neither happened, though, and a few hours after you walked in you were walking out with an assurance that your status would be updated within forty-eight hours.

All of which was blown from your mind the moment you saw Eddie Brock staring at you on the curb, leaning lazily against the other motorcycle you saw in the garage yesterday. It was just as dinged and damaged as you remembered it being, but it apparently ran well enough to hold together for the twenty minute drive from Bayview to Mission. You glanced down the street both ways, somehow convinced you were being punked or something, before you wove past pedestrians to where Brock was waiting.

"How did you know I was here?" you asked warily.

_**He is stalking us. We must escape while we still can.** _

You may not have agreed with the sentiments, but you _were_ curious as to how he'd found you. You were a needle in the haystack. Symbiotes didn't have telepathy or something, right? You were pretty sure Agony could read your mind in some capacity, but you'd never been able to read someone else's. Maybe Venom could?

He shrugged and smiled crookedly at you. "I can't reveal my sources." When you narrowed your eyes at him suspiciously, he only smiled more genuinely. "All done with downtown or do you got more errands to run?"

You groaned loudly at the thought of what you'd gone through today. You wouldn't even have access to your bank account for a few more days. You refused to leave until you had a tent and at least five new pairs of thick, warm socks. "Today sucked."

Brock handed you a spare helmet. "Tell me about it over dinner back at my place?"

You shot him a guilty look even as your stomach grumbled loud enough for both of you to hear. "I was going to cook tonight. As a thank you."

He only smiled after a beat, though, and once again helped you put your helmet on. "Don't worry, I didn't cook." He pulled his helmet on and slid on the bike. It roared to life a second later and you stared at it nervously. It was much smaller than the other one. Clearly not meant for two people to travel comfortably for a long period of time. You trusted he knew what he was doing, though, and slid on behind him. Just like you suspected, it was a much tighter fit and you were practically plastered to his back.

_**I like the tiny machine.** _

"Why's that?" you asked Agony as Brock sped through the busy San Francisco streets.

_**It gets your heart racing.** _

You tightened your grip as the motorcycle tilted to the side and you and Eddie leaned with it. You could feel his thighs between yours, thick and taught as he held the bike steady. Blood rushed to your cheeks and you bit your cheek. "Not sure that's the bike, A," you whispered. You immediately wanted to take it back, but it wasn't like you'd be able to hide your thoughts and feelings from Agony for very long.

It hummed thoughtfully and you prayed that would be the last of it, but apparently your bad luck hadn't run out for the day. _**Do you wish to mate with this human?**_

Your eyes went wide and you sputtered for a moment. "Agony, if you ever say that to anyone but me ever again I will _never_ forgive you."

It vibrated beneath your skin, distressed but apparently not distressed enough to stop asking questions. _**Even if my queries reveal that he also seeks to procreate?** _

You wanted to slam your head into something, but the only option was Eddie's back so you settled for letting loose a string of colorful swear words. "I'm _not_ giving you the sex talk right now."

It sounded offended when it said, _**I know how human procreation works. You taught me. Sexual reproduction, placental development, ten month gestation-** _

You would be fine with being hit by a truck right about now. "You know how procreation works, but you know almost nothing about human intimacy, A."

It hummed thoughtfully again. _**You will explain intricate human social interactions to me at a later date?** _

It was a blessing that it was a question and not a demand. "Only if you promise to stop trying to be my wingman."

_**Wingman?** _

You groaned and ignored its pestering questions for the rest of the ride and instead focused on the city as it sped past you. Every time the bike stopped at a red light you found yourself stretching your legs down toward the pavement. This bike was small enough you could reach the ground. Once or twice you caught Eddie sending you amused looks over his shoulder which only set your heart racing all over again.

The farther away from downtown you got the quieter the streets became, until you could finally take a beat to reflect on how your life had changed so rapidly in a few short days. More specifically, how you ended up sitting behind Eddie Brock on his motorcycle. Eddie Brock, the journalist who you'd admired up until he attacked Carlton Drake, and then again after you realized he'd been right all along. Eddie Brock with his sunshine smile and sleeve of tattoos and calming words and rough fingers that held you so gently. If life was going to throw you nothing but curve balls, you were at least going to enjoy the little wins you got here and there.

Too soon for your liking Eddie's house came into view. What surprised you was that the lights were on. Eddie didn't strike you as someone who'd waste energy like that. The moment the garage door had finished lowering you realized why.

There was someone in the house. You could hear them clattering around the kitchen.

Agony surged forth from beneath your skin and bared its teeth, but Eddie stepped between you and the door, hands up and eyes wide. "Hey, it's okay."

 _ **"There is someone in the house!"**_ it rumbled, low and deadly.

Eddie nodded quickly. "Yeah, I know. I invited them. It's alright."

As quickly as Agony appeared, it receded into your skin. The last thing you needed to do was out Eddie and Venom to anyone close to him by showing up as a big purple goo monster. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He winced guiltily and set his helmet on the shelf behind him. You passed him yours and he placed it beside the other. "I thought you might get nervous knowing there're people waiting at my place."

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Do you trust them?"

He nodded and fiddled with his bracelets which you recognized as a nervous tick of his. "Dan is a doctor and Anne is my ex-fiancee. They're dating."

You blinked rapidly, not quite sure which part to settle on first. Before you got a moment to ask, though, he held his hand out and nodded towards the door. "There's no way they missed us coming in and I know Anne'll get mad if dinner gets cold. I can answer anything else at the table, alright?"

You really doubted that, considering you wouldn't be able to ask anything related to Agony or Venom, but you took his hand anyway. Once again, the moment you touched him a jolt ran through you, but this time it was warm and made heat rise to your cheeks. You wondered if that was somehow your symbiote's fault, but the door was open and you couldn't ask anymore.

Bustling around the kitchen was a tall man with neat, dark hair and tired eyes. Sitting at the (now clean) dining room table was-

"I know you!" you said, dropping Eddie's hand in surprise.

The woman you'd nearly run into while leaving the SSA Office smiled at you, eyes tight and guarded. "Yes, we had the pleasure of meeting earlier today." From the way her eyes dropped to your and Eddie's hands for a split second you knew she'd seen it all. "Sorry again for almost running into you. My name is Anne. Nice to meet you."

"It's okay. I'm (Y/N)," you said faintly, suddenly feeling completely out of place. You had no idea what to do. If what Eddie had said a moment ago was true, this was his ex-fiancee. She was gorgeous. So much so you had to fight the urge to straighten your shirt and fix your hair from where the helmet had messed it up.

The man at the stove- Dan?- smiled over at you. It was surprisingly genuine and warm. "I hope you like stir fry. It's basically the only dish besides pasta that I can make enough of at once to feed all of us."

You stared at him for a moment before his meaning sunk in and you went wide-eyed, turning to look at Eddie in shock.

He took one look at you and swore. "My bad. Yeah, yeah. They know."

Anne gaped at Eddie and made an incredulous noise. "You didn't tell her that we know about you and Venom?"

Eddie scratched at his arms nervously and didn't meet her eyes. "Slipped my mind?"

"Well, that's alright. We're all on the same page now, right?" Dan asked as he began serving up two small plates of stir fry, followed closely by two heaping plates.

"Not quite," Anne said shrewdly, glaring at Eddie.

He winced and the look he shot her was pleading. They went back and forth silently for a few beats before Anne sighed in annoyance and turned to you. "I noticed in town today. Your eyes flashed pink. I don't think anyone else would have noticed- and if they had, they would probably play it off as a trick of the light- but I know what a symbiote looks like. I had a minor panic attack thinking everyone in that building was about to be eaten. I called Eddie, but he told me he already knew about you." The accusatory way she said the last part left no question in your mind as to whether or not Eddie had told her and Dan beforehand.

Dan placed the plates on the table and Eddie reluctantly made his way over to the table and sat across from Anne. You figured that running away would be way too cowardly (even if you really, really wanted to) so you took the last open seat; next to Eddie and across from Dan. "T-thanks," you said nervously, trying to smile at the other man.

Dan only smiled though after he finished taking a sip of water. "My pleasure. I actually like cooking. It's especially satisfying to know none of it will go to waste."

Well, he had that much correct. The moment you took one bite, you lost all ability to speak for a few minutes. Walking around all day and in the midst of all those people had made you _way_ too hungry.

After you'd made it about halfway through your plate and finally slowed down a bit, Anne looked up from her plate and asked with a smile, "So, how long have you known Eddie?"

You nearly choked on a piece of chicken and grabbed your glass of water to cover it up by taking a sip. "Uh- personally?" She gave you an encouraging nod and you winced internally. Surely his fiancee wouldn't appreciate you living with him after knowing him for only two days. "I met him yesterday, actually."

Dan got that look of a man trying desperately hard to roll with the punches. "Oh. Two days, huh? That's, uh. That's great. So whose idea was it to move in together?" he asked with a tight smile.

Eddie groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Before we get too far ahead of ourselves how about we start from the beginning?" he muttered miserably. You tried ignore the fact that he seemed so upset at the thought of living with you in a more-than-platonic capacity. It was only mildly successful.

Dan and Anne's eyes immediately focused on you and you gulped down what was likely to be your last bite of food for a few minutes. You glanced at Brock, who was staring at you from behind his hands out of the corner of his eye. At your distraught look, he gave you a small nod of encouragement. A moment later he hooked his foot around your ankle and all at once this conversation seemed trivial compared to the upheaval going on in your heart.

"I used to work at the Life Foundation. Low level, mostly analyzing and organizing data. I happened to be working late when Eddie broke in with Doctor Skirth. I went to investigate and apparently something he did compromised the systems because Agony got loose, too, and found me."

"Agony? That's her name?" Anne asked with sharp eyes.

"Yeah. That's what it tells me it means in English, at least." _**Well it is.**_ "Anyway, Agony ate my neighbor's dog and when I realized all those data sets I'd been organizing weren't theoretical, I knew I had to get away from people. I didn't know about the chocolate thing and I knew I'd end up hurting someone if I stayed in San Francisco. We heard the news that Riot and Mister Drake had been killed in the rocket explosion and thought Venom and Eddie had died, too. Agony thought it was alone and I had no one I could trust, so we just... stayed out in Mendocino."

"Mendocino? Like where that film student went missing?" Anne asked.

You froze and stared at the middle distance and held your fork so hard that it dug painfully into your skin. It was stupid to think you could gloss over that part.

"Anne." The sound of Eddie's stern voice kept your mind from receding into itself but you still had to focus on keeping your breathing even. You missed the staring contest that broke out between the two while Dan looked between the three of you warily.

All at once you recognized that look in her eyes. It was love. Love for Eddie. Maybe not romantically (judging from the way she and Dan looked at each other), but you knew at once you didn't want to be in the room anymore. You barely knew anything about Eddie, much less Anne and Dan, and you had no right mucking his life up like this.

You stood so suddenly that all three of them jumped. "Thank you for dinner, Dan. It was delicious. I bet you guys have a lot to catch up on and I just realized I forgot to pick something up at the pharmacy. It's a nice night, so I'll take a walk. I'll be back in an hour, maybe?" You hadn't even taken your jacket off so you made a beeline for the front door, only to have Eddie grab your hand as you made it to the door. If it had been any other human on planet earth you probably would have pulled your hand from his grasp, but he held you fast.

"Please don't go," he whispered, chancing a nervous glance over his shoulder to where Anne and Dan were pretending not to watch the two of you.

You didn't turn around to face him; simply stared at him out of the corner of one eye. "I just need some air."

"You gonna come back?" he asked, sounding almost resigned. You liked to imagine there was a sliver of hope threaded in there.

You finally turned to look at him. He was staring at you so intensely you had to look away immediately. "Will I even be wanted if I do?" you murmured, eyes darting up to Anne despite yourself. She was staring at the two of you with an unreadable expression.

"She's just worried is all. I'll talk to her and Dan. She understands. More than you'd know. Just... trust me?" You looked up at him and searched his face, trying to parse his thoughts, but couldn't come up with anything except a tinge of his panic.

Not knowing what else to do in light of such a pathetic expression, you only nodded and said, "Yeah. Okay, Eddie."

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but he only gave your hand a squeeze before his arm dropped back down to his side. You gave him and the other two one last uncertain look before you turned and walked out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

It was late enough now that street lights had come on to keep at bay the darkness of the night. Most people were in their homes, tired from their day at work. It meant you were left undisturbed as you made your way through the city, mumbling responses to your curious symbiote. There wasn't anywhere you could really go at eight at night with no money to your name, so that left you to wander a bit and talk to Agony.

_**Why did you leave our food half eaten?** _

You sighed. Of course it started with food. "Because the atmosphere in that room was stifling and I didn't want to be there anymore."

It hummed thoughtfully and asked, _**Is this one of those human social intricacies that I do not have exposure to?**_

Your pace faltered for a moment. Yeah, you'd have to talk this one out with your symbiote, wouldn't you? "Yeah, A. Those two new people, Anne and Dan? They didn't like me."

 _ **They did not assault you, so how do you know? Were they not simply asking questions?**_ it asked, clearly confused.

You sighed and turned another corner, distantly hoping you'd be able to find your way back later. "Gotta look closer, Agony. First of all, Anne is apparently Eddie's ex-fiancee, which-"

_**Please define fiancee. Additionally, how does one stop being a fiancee?** _

You wiped a hand down your face and sucked in a breath through your teeth. "Uh, fiances are two people who have agreed to marry each other at some point in the future. Marriage is when two people make a promise to stay with each other forever and the government recognizes the union. It's also usually a religious thing, too. Sometimes people stop being married, which is called a divorce. It happens a lot, actually, and it's a lot of work for everyone involved."

_**Do they fight to death?** _

You gaped. "What? No!" You paused and tilted your head to the side. "I'm sure a lot of them would like to, though. Anyway, people who are engaged- as in, they've agreed to marry- are fiances with each other. They stop being fiances when they either marry, or they no longer want to get married. If they get married they're then husband or wife or partners or any combination thereof, but if they decide not to marry, they're ex-fiances. That's what Anne and Eddie are."

_**Why not just refer to them as an acquaintance? Why must they be referred to as an ex-fiance?** _

You had to think about that for a second. "Probably because it gives other people more context, y'know? In a single word, one can convey that they have a lot of history with another person. There are probably a lot of feelings involved, too. You'd never know that right off the bat if someone said 'That's Alex,' instead of 'That's my ex-fiance.' Does that make sense?"

It hummed and you took a moment to try to get your bearings. The city was still noisy at this hour, but the immediate area was shockingly quiet. A car occasionally passed, but you hadn't seen a single other pedestrian yet. It was nice, but a bit unsettling. _**I suppose it does. How did you know they did not take kindly to your presence?** _

"Like I was saying earlier, Anne and Eddie are ex-fiances which means there are a ton of feelings there, even if Anne has moved on to Dan. I think it's pretty likely she was the one to break it off with Eddie, so there's a good chance that he- he..."

_**He what?** _

"Still loves her," you whispered quietly, as though saying it loud enough would somehow make it unconditionally true.

_**I do not understand how that would interfere with your desire to mate with him. Simply show him you are the more fertile female.** _

You felt heat rush to your cheeks as you sputtered helplessly. "What? No! That's not- Agony, you- Oh my _god_ ," you hissed, mortified. You were doubly thankful no one was out and about while you felt like dying from embarrassment. "Sex and love aren't the same, A!" you managed finally.

_**But love is a biological construct designed to make procreation more successful. How are they not the same in the end?** _

Jesus, you had to sit down. Maybe you should have covered more human interactions with Agony instead of purely scientific information. Maybe then you wouldn't be having this conversation. You glanced at the nearest house and bit your lip. From on top of the roof you could sit and talk with A and watch the boats in the bay drift by in the night. A view like that might, at least, keep you calm.

_**Up?** _

You nodded and a second later you felt Agony shift underneath your skin. You flew twenty feet into the air and landed silently on the slanted roof. You stayed completely still for a second just to make sure the occupants inside hadn't heard you, but you didn't hear so much as a peep. The doors stayed closed and the windows stayed shuttered. Satisfied, you sat down and pulled your knees to your chest. Agony kept the worst of the chill from getting to you, but you could tell it was getting cold out. The breeze off the water definitely wasn't helping.

_**Please elaborate. I would like to rectify my knowledge of human interactions, as it appears to be deeply flawed.** _

You crossed your arms over your knees and placed your chin on top. "God, where do I even start? Hmm... let's try to keep it simple, first. You can break the facets of human interactions and relationships into three types. Some relationships will have one, two, or all three traits. With me so far?"

_**Yes, please continue.** _

The politeness it exhibited was a sign of how far the two of you had come. It made you smile, despite your earlier embarrassment. "So, the first one is intimacy. A lot of people think this means sex, but it doesn't. It means how close you are. How well you know each other, how familiar you are. In other words, companionship, friendship, understanding, rapport. You and I? We have an intimate relationship. We know more about each other than just about anyone else from either of our species."

_**I understand. I also find our partnership agreeable. What is the next part?** _

You smiled widely. That was probably the nicest thing Agony had said to you perhaps ever. "Passion. This is infatuation and sexual attraction. 'Mating' as you might put it, but that's not always the goal; sex feels good so some people do it just to have an enjoyable time and not because they want to have a child."

_**You feel this towards Venom's host, yes?** _

You buried your face into your arms and groaned.

_**I will take that as an affirmative. You must not engage in sexual activities with him. I do not wish to be joined with Venom in any way. It is repulsive.** _

You groaned and flopped backwards onto the roof, arms and legs splayed out like a starfish. "If it was only passion it wouldn't be a problem, Agony. I like Eddie. A lot. I... I don't think I'd be satisfied with a one and done kind of relationship with him." Even as you said it, you knew it was true. You could search the globe but no other person would ever understand and accept you like Eddie could. "The problem is the last part. Romance and commitment. At the moment, I'm infatuated with Eddie, but I want it to be something more. I'd want commitment. The intimacy. The passion. The romance. All of it. I'd want to do mundane things with him like grocery shopping and watching TV on the couch together and lazy mornings where we just stayed in bed for hours."

_**If you desire that, you should do it. If we kill Venom or find it a new host then I will not begrudge your relationship with Eddie Brock.** _

"We're _not_ killing Venom, Agony. I remember how upset you were when you thought you were alone. Bitch about it all you like, but I know you were happy," you said, smirking when Agony vibrated angrily beneath your skin.

**_If you continue to spew lies I will devour your spleen._ **

"No you won't."

_**Yes I will.** _

"Fine, fine. You're a vicious symbiote and I am but a humble little human. I was so very wrong. My mistake," you simpered sarcastically.

**_You are forgiven. Now, why else have you not pursued him? You are sad. I can feel it._ **

That made you go somber, smile sliding right off your face. "I told you. He's still hung up on Anne, and Anne almost definitely hates me. She knows what I did to that kid. I took one look at the expression on her face and just _knew_ ; she didn't want me within a continent of Eddie."

_**Then she is an obstacle. We should eat her.** _

"Agony, no! We don't eat our problems. Besides, what do you think would happen if Eddie found out we hurt her?" you said, exhausted by this conversation.

_**He would... be upset and... think negatively of you?** _

You nodded tiredly. "Correct. Being with him has been a lovely fantasy to indulge while I've been here, but we're going back to living in places without any people the moment my bank account is active again. So two days, max, then we're never going to see the two of them again. Understood?" When it didn't respond you sighed and decided to let the subject drop. You could probably come back once in a while if Agony started getting lonely, but you didn't want to risk the lives of people in this city by having _two_ murderous symbiotes inside its limits. One was more than enough.

Agony's enhancements allowed you to see some stars through the light pollution, so you let your mind wander as you gazed at the distant balls of burning gas.

You weren't sure how long you laid there for, listening to the sounds of the city, when a whisper of movement caught your attention. Your head whipped to the side and Agony rippled beneath your skin, but, instead of the raccoon or cat (or creep) you'd been expecting, Eddie Brock stood at the edge of roof with a thick blanket draped around his shoulders.

You slowly laid back down, tension draining out of your body, and stared back up at the sky. "How'd you find me?" you asked, morbidly curious. Sure, you hadn't gone too far, but it wasn't like you could be seen from the street.

He moved almost silently across the rooftop, not answering until he'd sat down next to you. You chanced a glance at him and immediately regretted it. He looked almost sinfully attractive in profile with the dim light of the city casting dynamic shadows over his features. The night sky above and behind him made him stand out all the more; the only real light in a sea of muddied darkness. Your heart immediately sped up to a frightening pace.

"When you didn't come back I started looking. Turns out I didn't have to look hard. Or at all," he said easily.

You frowned and stared at him, willing your heart to slow down. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering directly, he pointed to something on the other side of him. You sat up to get a look at it and immediately smacked a hand to your forehead. You'd ended up hiding on top of the house directly across the street from Eddie's. "Sorry, that must seem so creepy. I wasn't watching or anything, I swear. I just picked a rooftop that I could see the bay from," you said, gaze darting away from his kind eyes.

He smiled at that and glanced past you, towards the water. "Not much of a view right now."

You winced. "I like watching the ships at night?"

He raised a brow, amused smile dancing on his lips. "Was that a question or a statement?"

Your cheeks heated and you looked away. "It was supposed to be a statement." You grasped for a change of topic and came up with, "Did Anne and Dan leave?" Crap. You didn't want to talk about Anne. It still hurt to think about.

His expression turned apologetic. "Yeah, they left a little while ago. Sorry about dinner. It was..."

"Awkward?" you said, smirking in spite of yourself.

He let out a huff of laughter. "Yeah, that's putting it mildly."

Your smile turned sour. "Sorry for causing drama like that."

"What are you talking about?" He looked genuinely confused, which only made you frown.

"I kinda fell into your life on accident and now I'm causing all these problems with people you're obviously really close to and-"

You nearly swallowed your tongue when he reached out and grabbed your arm. "Lemme be clear about this, Pinky. You're not causing me any problems. Hell, I've caused more problems for myself in the last four hours than you have since the moment I met you." His earnest eyes and steady hand nearly made you believe him.

"But Anne and Dan?" you asked helplessly.

To your disappointment, he let your arm go and put his hand back under his blanket. "They're good people. The best. I ruined Anne's life- lost her her job at a fancy attorney's office- and she still helped me when that stuff with the Life Foundation happened. I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for her. Dan had every reason to hate me, but he covered for me and tried to help me when Venom was still trying to figure out how to live in me without killing me. They're still the only two people who know." He paused and then flashed you a smile. "Well, three now, right?" he said as he nudged your shoulder with his.

"Four," you corrected gently, smiling as Agony hummed in satisfaction in your mind.

He grinned toothily at that; the kind of smile that you wanted to take a picture of (and then frame it and put it on your wall). "My bad. Yeah, four." His gaze lingered on you for a moment longer before he looked up at the sky. "You told anyone yet?"

The question made you curl in on yourself again, legs pulled to your chest and arms around yourself. "No." You didn't dare tell your family or friends. They knew you were alive after the Life Foundation incident. Now you had to stay away to keep them safe. That was what mattered. Eddie shifted next to you and you assumed he was shifting uncomfortably or something, so it came as a huge surprise when he threw half of the blanket over your shoulders. You looked up at him in confusion and tried to ignore how you were so close that you could feel the heat radiating off his body. He was only smiling at you, though, and you had to look away before you said or did something really stupid under that compassionate gaze. "Thanks." You clutched the corner in one hand and pulled it a little tighter around yourself, thankful for the layer of protection from the wind.

"No problem, princess," he said. You half expected him to be teasing you, but his tone and a quick glance at his face ultimately confirmed his sincerity. The two of you sat in silence for a while, gazing up at the stars. Being so close to another person after a whole month by yourself was... unimaginably nice. Like this, you could almost fool yourself into thinking that he liked you. You glanced at him again, but his gaze was trained firmly on the sky. It wasn't clear to you if Venom was talking to him or not, but anything was possible.

Then, a thought struck you. You weren't going to be around much longer and he was the one person you weren't worried about hurting. You could be brave, just for the next day or two.

Slowly, you leaned over until your shoulder rested lightly against his. To your relief, he either didn't notice or didn't care enough to pull away. The fabric of your jackets was suddenly a very unwelcome obstacle, but at least he was that much less likely to recoil from your touch. Even the simple touch was sending your heart pounding like you were a kid in middle school again.

"She doesn't hate you, you know?" The suddenness of his statement made you startle. He gave you a small smile and pressed on. "To save me, she and Venom teamed up. She ended up biting off an ex-military security guard's head then freaked out in the middle of the forest. Venom and I couldn't even stop to comfort her because Drake and Riot were taking off in the rocket ship. Later, she swore at me for three hours before she finally broke down crying. Point is, she understands, she just doesn't know you or Agony yet. The more you learn about each other, the friendlier she'll be." He said it like it was some great thing, but you tried your best to keep your smile from going tight or sour. He really still did love her, didn't he?

"You can tell her not to worry. I'm leaving San Francisco as soon as I can; basically as soon as the SSA declares me alive again," you said, not quite able to look him in the eye. It had been a lovely fantasy while it had lasted.

Brock stared at you with wide, surprised eyes. "Wait, what? No, hold on, go back. Alive 'again'? And what do you mean you're leaving?" It was clear he had no idea where to begin with what you'd said.

You frowned at him, confused. There was no way he thought you'd stay long term... right? "Apparently the SSA declared me dead. It locked me out of my bank accounts, which is why I was at the SSA Office today."

Eddie's expression shifted rapidly but settled on empathy. "Is that why you said you had a shit day? Because that sounds like a real shit day."

Your lips twitched upwards and you nodded slowly. "But not as shit as being within fifty feet of an exploding space shuttle. Dunno what kinda asshole would do that, though."

Eddie laughed at that, deep and rich, and you closed your eyes for a second, committing the sound to memory. "Yeah, I s'pose that beats most people's shit days, huh? But what's this about you leavin'? You've only been here two days."

You bit your lip to keep from grimacing. "I don't trust myself and Agony around people. My first serious interaction with one in a month and-" Your fingers dug into your pants, nails biting right through the fabric. _Don't think about him. Don't think about him. Don't think about him. Don't-_

He nudged your shoulder and you took a deep breath. You looked him in the eyes; it was the greatest distraction you'd get at the moment. Those blue-green eyes were watching you concernedly, but his voice was steady when he said, "I dunno. I think it might be good for the two of you to learn how to live around other people. I'm not telling you to go party at Coachella or something, but being around people might eventually make it a nonissue for you."

You, however, shook your head and looked away. Staying in another city was a possibility, but you didn't think your feelings could survive living in the same city as Eddie Brock without being with him. "No, I'd better not. I don't know if there are people out there looking for me, but it wouldn't surprise me. And then there's the problem of my friends and family. If they see me now they'll start wondering where I've been the past month. It's safer for all of us if I leave," you argued quietly, giving Eddie your bravest smile when all you wanted to do was curl up between his arms and stay there forever.

His gaze roamed your face searchingly. You hoped fervently he couldn't guess your true intentions. After a beat he nodded and looked away. "Whatever you say, Pinky. You're a smart lady and far be it from me to tell you what you should and shouldn't do. Just maybe visit once in a while, alright?"

You did your best to wipe the sadness from your smile. "I doubt my paperwork will get sorted by tomorrow, so you're stuck with me for a few more days. Is it still alright to crash at your place or...?"

He was nodding before you'd even finished speaking. "Yeah, yeah. Of course. Whatever you need."

"You sure I won't be a problem? I'd hate to make you feel uncomfortable," you said nervously. You'd have to stay for at least one more night, maybe even two or three. The last thing you wanted to do was run Eddie out of his own house.

He shook his head. "No, of course not. And, like you said, it's only for a few days at most..." he trailed off, lips turned down ever so slightly. "But I don't want to go back inside yet. It's nice out tonight; we finally broke the 50's (10 **°** C) at night and it's clear for the first time in a few days." He flopped backwards onto the roof, taking the blanket with him, and asked, "Feel like stargazing with me?" like it was the most normal thing for two grown adults to do on top of someone else's house. You didn't dare look back at him because you were too distracted by the strip of skin just above his waistband that had appeared as his sweatshirt rode up. Rather than answer directly (and likely stutter through anything you would say), you simply laid down, only to tense up the moment your head landed on his arm. When he didn't say anything or so much as twitch, you relaxed muscle by muscle and carefully measured your breath. When he suddenly pointed up at the sky you nearly startled out of your skin. "V says they're from out that way. A few light years or so."

You stared up at where Eddie was pointing. Your feeble human eyes saw nothing special; just empty space speckled with bright lights. _**Our exploratory ship was much closer to Earth. Venom is referring to our mother ship. Your space ships would be incapable of reaching it without our upgrades. Additionally, Venom is mistaken. Our mother ship is that direction.**_ Agony controlled your eyes and you fought the urge to wince as they swiveled to look at the other side of the horizon. "A says it's that way," you said quietly, arm hovering above Eddie's chest as you pointed in the right direction. Doing so put your face that much closer to his and you debated running away as quickly as you could. You really were going to do something stupid at this rate.

Brock raised a brow and looked that way, then looked back to where he had been before. "Venom's pretty sure he's right."

_**It is wrong.** _

"So is Agony."

Brock huffed out a laugh and smiled. "Guess they'll just have to disagree, then."

"Guess so," you mumbled, tearing your gaze away from him to look up at the sky. The two of you sat in comfortable silence while the city went to sleep around you. You weren't sure how long it'd been since the last time you spoke when you said, "I'm really glad I met you." You didn't dare look over at him, but as your own words sunk in, you realized how many different ways he could interpret that (especially because of the situation the two of you were in). It didn't help that you said it almost shyly. Definitely sincerely. Maybe a bit too fondly. A small part of you wanted him to take it as meaning more than you'd intended, just to see what he'd do, but you were mostly terrified he'd just turn you down or, worse, not want to even be around you anymore.

You practically held your breath and were a few seconds away from making sure he hadn't fell asleep when he muttered, "Me too, Pinky."

Conflicting emotions swirled low in your gut. First happiness over how he was glad he met you and how your statement hadn't seemed to change anything, closely followed by disappointment that it hadn't changed anything at all. You bit back whatever else you might say and battered down those unfair, prickly emotions and resolved to just enjoy what you had; A unique friendship with an amazing man who was kinder than just about anyone you'd ever met. It would have to be enough.

 

When you woke up on the roof a few hours later, your limbs tangled with his, you closed your eyes and snuggled deeper into his embrace. He snuffled in his sleep but otherwise didn't move. If having this moment meant it would hurt more to leave later, you'd take that trade.


End file.
